The U.S. Department of Transportation today finalized plans to weaken energy efficiency standards, calling it “one of the largest deregulatory actions taken under the second Trump administration.”
It’s a nail in the coffin for Biden-era standards that would have required fleet average fuel economy to reach 50.4 miles per gallon by model year 2031. President Donald Trump’s plan calls for 34.9 miles per gallon, not much higher than the 30.1 miles per gallon goal previously set for the 2024 model year.
Consumer, health and environmental groups are furious
The Trump administration says its plan would shave $1,300 off the average cost of a new vehicle, saving $138 billion over the next five years — although those figures have been disputed.
Car manufacturers are quite happy with the new rules. But consumer, health and environmental groups are furious. They argue that lower fuel economy standards will eventually force Americans to pay more at the pump, on top of rising health care costs and climate change damage from air pollution. The Biden administration standards that Trump trashed are expected to save a car owner $23 billion in fuel costs, and more than $600 in gasoline over the life of a vehicle.
“For decades, fuel economy standards have ensured that new cars, SUVs and pickup trucks are more efficient, saving lives and money,” Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in an emailed statement. “There is no reason to weaken standards that are technologically feasible and have a direct benefit on the quality of the air people breathe. »
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