Trump finalizes rule to make cars less fuel efficient

The US Department of Transportation finalized its plans today to weaken fuel efficiency standards, calling it “among the largest deregulatory actions 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 requires 34.9 miles per gallon, not much higher than the 30.1-mile-per-gallon target previously set for model year 2024.

The Trump administration claims its plan would shave $1,300 off the average cost of a new vehicle, saving $138 billion over the next five years — though those figures have been disputed.