Trump admin finalises reversal of US fuel economy standards

Washington: President Donald Trump's administration finalized its rollback of U.S. fuel economy standards on Monday, ending a mandate that pushed automakers to produce pricier electric vehicles. The new standards aim for a fleet average fuel economy of 34.9 miles per gallon by model year 2031, a figure that the rule's data shows has already been achieved two years ago.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that this decision eliminates an "illegal mandate" that forced automakers to create expensive electric vehicles that American families did not want. The rollback is expected to reduce the average cost of new vehicles by $1,300, save $138 billion over the next five years, and prevent over 300,000 serious injuries and save 1,900 lives by encouraging car sales.

The change was welcomed by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobby group representing Detroit and international carmakers, who described it as a "course correction" as the standards set by the previous administration were deemed unrealistic and out of step with market realities. However, environmental critics argue that the rollback represents a significant step in the wrong direction, weakening the United States' commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and saving consumers money.