September 28, 2026
Washington, DC. – Today, the Trump administration’s National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced new fuel economy standards that will dramatically drop the requirement for cars and light-duty trucks to achieve an industry-wide average of 34.5 miles per gallon by model year 2031. The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules represent a massive rollback from the Biden administration’s standards set at 50.4 miles per gallon by model year 2031.
In response,
Ann Mesnikoff, ELPC Federal Legislative Director, said:
“The new Trump vehicle efficiency standards will make Americans pay more at the pump by weakening the existing rule that would have helped Americans use less oil, cut climate pollution and lower fuel costs.
“At a time when Americans already are digging deeper in their wallets to pay more than $4 a gallon for gas, these new rules will stress their household incomes even further. Rolling back these standards will mean less efficient vehicle choices for consumers. Rather than telling the industry to put fuel saving technologies to work, the Trump administration is prioritizing oil consumption.
“The Trump administration’s own Department of Transportation concluded the draft standards would increase fuel consumption, making the true winners here the fossil fuel companies that will see greater profits.”