Reports: Trump administration is moving to weaken fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks

According to news reports, the Trump administration will soon unveil a final rule that substantially weakens national fuel economy standards for new cars, SUVs, and passenger trucks. The rule is expected to be announced on Monday. 

If the final National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule follows its proposal, it will cover new U.S. cars and trucks in model years 2022 to 2031, will increase pollution and weaken energy security, and will mean Americans will spend an average of $1,400 more on gas (an amount that would be even greater if it accounted for today’s soaring gas prices).   

“For decades, our national fuel economy standards have steadily made our vehicles more efficient and less expensive to drive. Now these Trump administration rules are expected to be a sharp U-turn that will mean wasted gas, more pollution, and higher costs for Americans who are already struggling with high fuel prices,” said Andy Su, Senior Transportation Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “These imminently expected rules won’t just slam the brakes on progress – they aim to throw us in reverse.”   

Congress first established the CAFE standards in 1975, largely in response to the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. Since then, the standards have improved gas mileage for millions of American vehicles – which also became more powerful and safer at the same time. 

NHTSA’s proposed rule would have required cars to get an average of 37.4 miles per gallon by 2031. However, the agency acknowledged that model year 2024 cars already get an average of 41.2 miles per gallon (90 Fed Reg, at 56,593). In other words, NHTSA proposed setting standards for the next five years with lower gas mileage than what we have now.  

NHTSA’s own analysis (8-36, tbl.8-3), which was released with its proposed rule, shows that weakening fuel economy standards would mean people would pay more than $1,400 more for fuel, on average, over the life of their vehicle. That amount does not account for the steep rise in gas prices this year. The proposed rule would also add more climate pollution to our air – the equivalent of adding more than eight million more gas-powered cars to the road – and would add substantially increase the air pollutants that cause cancer, heart and lung disease, and other serious health problems.