Full Breakdown
Trump Approves Lower Fuel-Economy Standards, Rolling Back Biden’s EV Push
By Drooid · · How we work
Trump Approves Lower Fuel-Economy Standards
On Monday, following a September 26 announcement, the U.S. Transportation Department will finalize new vehicle fuel-economy standards that are substantially less stringent than those adopted under President Joe Biden. The administration frames the change as ending what President Donald Trump called Biden’s “EV (electric vehicle) mandate” and as a way to lower the purchase price of new cars and trucks.
Background & Context
The Biden administration had raised required fuel-efficiency levels each year: an 8 % increase for model years 2024-2025, a 10 % rise for 2026, and a 2 % annual increase from 2027-2031, targeting a fleet-wide average of 50.4 mpg by 2031. Those rules were intended to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. The Trump administration’s December proposal sought to retroactively lower the 2022 standard and then raise it only 0.25-0.5 % per year through 2031, resulting in a projected average of 34.5 mpg. The policy shift occurs amid sharply higher gasoline prices, which have risen since the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran began in February.
Data & Statistics
- Proposed fleet-wide average fuel economy for 2031: 34.5 mpg (down from 50.4 mpg under Biden).
- Estimated reduction in the average price of a new vehicle: $930.
- Projected increase in fuel consumption through 2050: ? 100 billion gallons.
- Anticipated rise in fuel spending: ? $185 billion.
- Expected increase in carbon-dioxide emissions: about 5 %.
All figures are drawn from estimates released by the Transportation Department.
Official Statements & Responses
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned that “lowering standards will accelerate what (Trump) has already been doing: handing the clean-tech future to China and forcing Americans to pay more at the pump.”