The Trump administration has approved new, lower vehicle fuel-economy standards, reversing Biden-era rules and ending what it calls the EV mandate. The revised targets require an average of 34.5 mpg by 2031, down from the previous 50.4 mpg, and slow annual efficiency gains to just 0.25-0.5%. While this cuts the average new car cost by about $930, the Transportation Department admits it will increase fuel consumption by roughly 100 billion gallons through 2050 and add about $185 billion in fuel costs, with CO2 emissions rising by 5%.
