Trump Administration Announces Plan to Weaken Fuel Economy Standards for Cars and Trucks

(Washington, D.C. – December 3, 2025) Today the Trump administration proposed a new rule that would substantially weaken the nation’s fuel economy standards – an action that would waste gas, cost American families money, and put more pollution in the air we breathe.

“The fuel economy standards have made vehicles more efficient, saving Americans money and reducing our reliance on imported oil,” said Andy Su, Transportation Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “Today’s proposal to reverse course on the fuel economy standards is a U-turn that would increase costs for Americans and be disastrous for our economy, national security, and environment. We will vigorously oppose it.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled the proposal to weaken the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards today. 

Congress first established the CAFE standards in 1975, largely in response to the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. Since then, the standards have improved gas mileage for millions of American vehicles – from cars, SUVs and passenger trucks to heavy-duty vehicles like delivery trucks and vans – and as those vehicles used less gas, they saved money for American drivers and American businesses. Vehicles also became more efficient, more powerful and safer at the same time, and the standards helped boost America’s energy security by reducing our reliance on imported oil.

In 2024, NHTSA updated the CAFE standards. The agency estimated that by 2050 the stronger protections would:

• Save almost 70 billion gallons of gasoline
• Prevent more than 710 million metric tons of climate pollution from getting into our air
• Save owners more than $600 on gas over the lifetime of a car or passenger truck (more for a heavy-duty truck or van)
• Save Americans more than $23 billion in fuel costs altogether

Today’s proposal would throw that progress into reverse, undermining innovation and investment in the auto industry, forcing Americans to spend more money at the gas pump, and resulting in fewer clean vehicle options for consumers.