President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had approved new fuel economy standards that would end what he calls the Biden administration's electric vehicle mandate, while claiming the changes would lower car prices and boost U.S. auto manufacturing. In a Truth Social post, Trump argued that the previous standards increased costs for automakers and consumers while pushing manufacturers toward electric vehicles. He said the new standards would help reduce vehicle prices while strengthening domestic auto production.
"That means LOWER PRICES, saving families thousands on a new, beautiful, and safe car," Trump wrote. Trump did not provide details of the standards he said he approved, and the administration had not immediately released a final rule accompanying the announcement. Earlier administration proposals sought to significantly lower future fuel economy requirements for automakers.
Trump's post came ahead of what appeared to be a broader administration announcement. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X that "a major victory for America's auto workers is COMING MONDAY," though he did not specify whether he was referring to the fuel economy standards cited by Trump. Newsweek reached out to the White House, the Department of Transportation, Duffy and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Saturday for comment.
Trump said the new standards would help bring manufacturing jobs and investment to states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and South Carolina, while making it easier for automakers to build vehicles consumers want to purchase. He also thanked Duffy and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for helping advance the administration's auto policy agenda. Trump also said executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis had told him they wanted to expand manufacturing in the United States.
The administration signaled in August that it was preparing sharply lower fuel economy requirements than those adopted under former President Joe Biden. Duffy said at the time that the administration wanted automakers to focus on vehicles consumers want rather than vehicles favored by federal policymakers. A December proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projected a fleetwide average fuel economy of roughly 34.5 miles per gallon by 2031, compared with approximately 50.4 mpg under Biden-era standards.
However, it was not immediately clear whether the standards Trump referenced Saturday match that proposal or contain additional changes. The Biden administration's fuel economy rules were intended to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging automakers to produce more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. Supporters of the Biden-era standards argued they would reduce oil consumption and help limit transportation-sector emissions.
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