What Trump's rollback of fuel economy standards means for drivers

The Trump administration has rolled back federal fuel economy standards for new vehicles, reversing policies aimed at increasing fuel efficiency and promoting electric vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the new standards will require cars and light vehicles to achieve an average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031. This is a reduction from the previous target of 50.4 miles per gallon set by the Biden administration.

The move has been criticized by environmental advocates, who argue it could be "disastrous" for the environment and economy. The rollback is expected to lower car prices, with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stating that it will allow more American families to afford newer, safer vehicles.

The new standards are a departure from a 50-year trend of increasing fuel efficiency, which has seen average mileage for passenger cars rise from 13.1 miles per gallon in 1975 to 35.4 miles per gallon in 2024. The Trump administration's decision is part of a broader effort to relax regulations on the auto industry, including tailpipe emissions rules and incentives for electric vehicle production.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour Science, Scientific American, Fortune, The Guardian US — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.