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Trump Approves 34.5 MPG Fuel Economy Rollback

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Rollback Boosts Emissions

U.S. President Donald Trump approved fuel-economy standards lowering fleet-wide mpg to about 34.5 by 2031, with the Transportation Department finalizing rule Monday.
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump posted that the standards will ‘take waste out of building cars’ and save thousands on a car.
Administration says rollback cuts prices $930 while raising fuel use and emissions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the change a victory for auto workers.

Left

Household Cost Rise

U.S. President Donald Trump approved fuel-economy standards lowering fleet-wide average to 34.5 mpg for model-year 2031, and the Transportation Department will finalize the rule Monday.
Critics say the rollback hurts household affordability and slows electric-vehicle adoption, worsening climate impacts.
Yale Budget Lab estimates households will spend $1,100 more this year because of Trump’s tariffs.
Congress removed fines for automakers missing the standards, limiting the rollback’s practical effect.

History

Historical Context

Congress created CAFE in 1975, and by 1978 the rule required an 18-mpg floor for new cars after the 1973-74 oil embargo. The EPA and DOT raised standards, but the Trump administration issued a 2020 rule that froze targets and cut efficiency gains, a move later reversed by Biden in 2021. The 2024 proposal to lower the 2031 fleet-wide target follows this rollback cycle.

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Rollback Boosts Emissions

U.S. President Donald Trump approved fuel-economy standards lowering fleet-wide mpg to about 34.5 by 2031, with the Transportation Department finalizing rule Monday.
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump posted that the standards will ‘take waste out of building cars’ and save thousands on a car.
Administration says rollback cuts prices $930 while raising fuel use and emissions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the change a victory for auto workers.

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