Trump lowers vehicle fuel-efficiency standard

What changed

The Trump administration on Monday lowered the federal fuel-efficiency benchmark for vehicle fleets. Biden-era standards had required automakers’ fleets to average 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031. The revised standard sets that average at 34.9 miles per gallon.

That is a reduction of 15.5 miles per gallon, or about 31% from the earlier benchmark. The lower figure means automakers will face a less demanding federal efficiency requirement than they would have under the Biden-era policy.

The standard applies to an automaker’s vehicle fleet as an average. It does not require every individual car or truck to reach exactly 34.9 miles per gallon. Manufacturers may sell vehicles with efficiency levels above or below the benchmark while ensuring that their products collectively meet the fleet requirement.

What the rollback means

Miles per gallon measures how far a vehicle can travel using a gallon of fuel. A higher fleet average requires automakers’ products to use less fuel across the same distance, while a lower average allows more fuel use under the federal benchmark.

The change replaces the 50.4-mile-per-gallon target with the 34.9-mile-per-gallon target for 2031. Automakers will now plan their vehicle offerings around the lower federal requirement.

Attention will turn to how the administration implements the revised standard and how automakers adjust their compliance plans. Further administration details could also explain the reasoning and timetable connected to the change.