Trump Approves New Fuel Economy Standards Ending Biden EV Mandate

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has approved new federal fuel-economy standards that terminate what he called the Biden administration’s electric-vehicle mandate. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the final rule will be issued Monday and constitutes “a major victory for America’s auto workers.”

The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards target a fleetwide average of roughly 34.5 miles per gallon by model year 2031. That is sharply lower than the Biden-era requirement of 50.4 mpg. The Trump administration’s December proposal had already signaled annual increases of only 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent after a retroactive downward revision of earlier model-year targets.

Trump stated on social media that the prior rules cost manufacturers billions, forced Americans into vehicles they did not want, and wasted money on charging infrastructure that was never built. He said the new standards will remove waste from car-building and deliver lower prices, saving families thousands of dollars on a new vehicle. Department estimates linked to the proposal projected an average new-vehicle cost reduction of about $930.

The same estimates forecast higher fuel consumption—approximately 100 billion additional gallons through 2050—along with increased fuel spending of $185 billion and a roughly 5 percent rise in carbon-dioxide emissions. Trump’s move arrives as drivers face elevated fuel prices tied to regional conflict.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized the rollback, arguing it accelerates a shift of clean-technology leadership to China and raises costs at the pump. The administration frames the change as restoring consumer choice and supporting domestic manufacturing rather than mandating a rapid transition to battery-electric vehicles.

Congress had already eliminated civil penalties for noncompliance with the standards, limiting the practical force of the numerical targets. Still, the formal rollback removes regulatory pressure that had pushed manufacturers toward higher-efficiency and electric models.

The rule applies to passenger cars and light trucks. Separate heavy-duty standards are not covered by Saturday’s announcement. Officials did not immediately release the full final regulatory text, but the White House and Transportation Department confirmed the Monday rollout.