Trump Administration to Announce Sharply Lower U.S. Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to announce sharply lower federal fuel economy requirements for cars and light trucks, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday.

The move would reverse tougher vehicle-efficiency standards adopted under former President Joe Biden and could significantly change requirements facing major U.S. automakers.

Fuel Economy Target Could Drop to 34.5 MPG

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration previously proposed reducing requirements covering model years 2022 through 2031.

Under that proposal, automakers would need to achieve a fleetwide average of about 34.5 miles per gallon by 2031, compared with the Biden-era target of 50.4 mpg.

New Standards Coming Soon

Duffy said during an appearance in Michigan that the administration is close to announcing the new standard and wants Detroit automakers to have greater flexibility to produce vehicles based on consumer demand.

The final requirements and implementation details have not yet been announced.