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Trump approves lower fuel economy standards, scaling back Biden-era regulations

The decision reduces required efficiency targets for vehicle fleets to ease manufacturing rules.

Updated Sep 29, 2026 · 18:44 UTC18 reports

The short version

  • President Donald Trump announced he approved lower Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, reversing stricter rules established during the Biden administration.[Al Jazeera · CNBC]
  • The former rules required vehicle fleets to average about 50 to 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031, whereas the proposal lowers this target to roughly 34.5 miles per gallon.[Al Jazeera · CNBC · The Washington Sun]
  • Administration officials claim the lower standard reduces pressure to build electric vehicles, while critics argue it will raise fuel costs for consumers.[The Washington Sun]

Key facts

  • President Donald Trump announced on social media that he approved new fuel economy standards to roll back previous regulations.[Al Jazeera · CNBC · The Washington Sun]
  • Biden-era regulations aimed to raise the fleetwide fuel economy requirement to approximately 50 to 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031.[Al Jazeera · CNBC · The Washington Sun]
  • The proposed rule changes set the light-duty fleetwide average target to roughly 34.5 miles per gallon by 2031.[Al Jazeera · The Washington Sun]
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy argued the prior standards functioned as an electric vehicle mandate on automakers.[The Washington Sun]
  • No federal laws mandate consumers to purchase electric vehicles or ban gas-powered vehicles.[Al Jazeera]

What remains uncertain

  • The detailed specifications and final figures of the approved fuel economy standards have not yet been fully released.[Al Jazeera · CNBC]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.