Trump Administration Locks In Looser Fuel Economy Rules, Rolling Back Biden-Era Targets

The U.S. Department of Transportation has put its final stamp on a plan that rolls back federal fuel economy requirements, a move the agency itself describes as one of the most significant deregulatory steps of the second Trump administration.

Under the new framework, the corporate fleet average would need to hit 34.9 miles per gallon, a steep drop from the 50.4 mpg that the previous administration had penciled in for model year 2031. The revised figure lands only modestly above the 30.1 mpg benchmark that applied to model year 2024.

Officials in the administration argue the lighter rules will cut roughly $1,300 from the sticker price of an average new vehicle and generate$138 billion in savings across five years. Those numbers, however, have drawn skepticism from outside analysts. Automakers have broadly welcomed the change, while consumer advocates, public health organizations and environmental groups have pushed back hard.

Detractors contend that weaker standards will ultimately leave households paying more at the fuel pump, alongside added health care expenses and climate-related costs linked to tailpipe pollution. They point to estimates that the Biden-era targets would have delivered $23 billion in fuel savings and put more than$600 back in a typical owner’s pocket over a vehicle’s lifetime. Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a statement that efficiency standards have long delivered both cost and health benefits, and questioned why achievable, beneficial rules should be relaxed.