President Trump announced Wednesday afternoon that his administration will enact what he described as a “historic reset” of federal fuel economy standards, reversing several regulations put in place by the Biden administration. According to a White House statement, the overhaul is expected to deliver about $109 billion in savings for American families.
At a White House event featuring leaders from major automakers, Trump argued that the previous standards imposed “ridiculously burdensome” regulations that drove up car prices and effectively forced a shift toward electric vehicles. He positioned the new proposal as restoring balance to the auto market and giving consumers more “freedom of choice.”
Critics, however, caution that while the rollback may reduce regulatory burdens for automakers, it could also undermine long-term fuel economy and emissions goals and raise costs at the pump. The proposed changes would significantly weaken the fuel-efficiency targets for light vehicles through model year 2031, moving away from the ambitious requirements set under the Biden-era rulemaking.
