Trump Approves New Fuel Economy Standards, Rolling Back Biden Rules

Trump posted Saturday that he approved new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, saying they end what he calls a Biden-era EV mandate. No final rule has been publicly released.

• 50 mpg was the Biden-era fleet average target for passenger cars by 2031.
• 34.5 mpg was the NHTSA's December proposal for the same 2031 benchmark.
• $930 less: NHTSA's estimated reduction in average upfront vehicle cost under the proposal.
• 100 billion additional gallons of fuel projected to be consumed through 2050 under the rollback.

Why it matters: Weaker standards let automakers build more pickup trucks and SUVs — their most profitable vehicles — without accruing compliance penalties.

• NHTSA projects the rollback would add roughly $185 billion in consumer fuel spending and increase CO2 emissions by about 5 percent through 2050.
• Congress has already ended federal EV tax credits and moved to block California's zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, compounding pressure on EV adoption.

How 50 sources split on this story

Where they split: Supporters say the change lowers car prices and compliance costs; supporters of the Biden-era rules argue it raises long-run fuel spending and emissions.

What’s next: Duffy posted that "a major victory for America's auto workers is COMING MONDAY" without specifying details.

• It is unclear whether the approved standards match the December NHTSA proposal or differ.
• What are the exact mpg targets in the standards Trump says he approved?
• Will General Motors and other automakers that pledged continued EV production change course under the new rules?