The Trump administration finalized new fuel economy standards that relax the Biden-era targets, requiring average fleet fuel economy of 34.9 mpg by 2031 instead of 50.4 mpg. The rule also drops the previous goal of 50% EV sales by 2030, giving Ford and GM more flexibility to balance electric, hybrid, and gasoline vehicles. The administration estimates the change will cut new vehicle costs by $1,300 and save Americans $138 billion over five years. But earlier NHTSA projections warned of an extra 100 billion gallons of fuel consumed through 2050 and a 5% increase in CO2 emissions. That trade-off is central to the debate over how quickly automakers should move.
