NewsScienceTransportationTrump finalizes rule to make cars less fuel efficientCritics say the move will raise fuel costs for Americans.Critics say the move will raise fuel costs for Americans.by Justine CalmaSep 28, 2026, 6:39 PM UTCShareGiftPresident Donald Trump announces plans to weaken fuel efficiency and emissions rules for cars and trucks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on December 3rd, 2025. Photo: Getty ImagesJustine Calma is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.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.Consumer advocacy, health, and environmental groups are incensedThe 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.Automakers are pretty happy with the new rules.
But consumer advocacy, health, and environmental groups are incensed. They argue that weaker fuel economy standards will wind up making Americans pay more at the pump, on top of increased healthcare costs and damages from climate change due to air pollution. The Biden administration’s standards that Trump trashed were expected to save $23 billion in fuel costs, and a car owner more than $600 in gasoline over the lifetime of a vehicle.“For decades, fuel economy standards have ensured that new cars, SUVs and pickup trucks are more efficient, which saves lives and money,” the American Lung Association’s president and CEO, Harold Wimmer, said in an emailed statement. “There is no reason to weaken standards that are technologically feasible and have a direct benefit for the quality of the air people breathe.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Justine CalmaCarsEnergyEnvironmentNewsScienceTransportationMost PopularBose’s first wired earbuds in 11 years add noise cancelingTrump finalizes rule to make cars less fuel efficientThe smart home graveyard is getting crowdedGooglebooks might be the real dealVolkswagen replaces ID.4 with all-electric TiguanAdvertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native ad
