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Trump Calls for Rollback of Biden-Era Auto Fuel-Economy Standards

  //automotive-transportation.news-articles.net/co .. ck-of-biden-era-auto-fuel-economy-standards.html
  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Wednesday, December 3rd 2025 at 21:28 GMT by WHNT News 19

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Trump Calls for a Roll‑Back of the Biden‑Era Auto Fuel‑Economy Standards

In a recent statement that has already sparked a flurry of reactions from lawmakers, automakers and environmental groups, former President Donald Trump has announced a plan to roll back the federal fuel‑economy standards that the Biden administration set in motion last year. The proposal, which Trump outlined in a video released on his personal website, would lower the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets that apply to passenger cars and light trucks for the 2025 model year and beyond. It would effectively reverse the progress made under the 2020–2024 standards that aim to curb greenhouse‑gas emissions from the transportation sector.

What the Current Standards Do

Under the current framework, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are required to set progressive fuel‑economy targets for vehicles sold in the United States. The most recent revisions, announced in late 2023, push passenger cars to average 38.5 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2025, a 27% increase from 2020 levels. Light trucks—pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans—are targeted at 32.5 mpg, up 18% from 2020. These goals are part of the Biden administration’s broader climate agenda, which seeks to reduce the transportation sector’s emissions by 30% by 2030 and to achieve “net‑zero” emissions by the middle of the century.

The standards are not merely symbolic. They drive automakers’ product strategies: higher mpg targets encourage the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles, and force manufacturers to invest in more efficient powertrains. The targets have already spurred significant innovation in battery technology and fuel‑cell development, and many automakers have set ambitious electric‑vehicle rollout schedules in direct response to the new mandates.

Trump’s Proposal

Trump’s video, which is widely circulated on his social media channels, claims that the new standards are “unfair, unwise, and harmful to the auto industry.” He argues that the targets would raise the cost of vehicles, limit consumer choice, and hurt small businesses that depend on the automotive supply chain. According to Trump, the standards are “unnecessary” and would be a step backward in terms of the U.S. economy.

The former president’s proposal would roll back the standards to the 2022 levels—about 30 mpg for cars and 26 mpg for light trucks. He says that this would “give the auto industry the breathing room it needs to stay competitive.” Trump further asserts that the Biden administration’s climate agenda is “excessive” and that the standards “were set in a rush and without proper consideration for the impact on consumers.”

Political Reactions

The proposal has been met with a wide array of responses. Democratic lawmakers, particularly those on the House Energy & Commerce and Senate Energy & Natural Resources committees, have decried the move as a “dangerous step backward.” Senator Mark Warner (D‑VA) called the proposal “an attempt to sabotage the progress we have made on climate.” Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have been split. Some, such as Representative Lauren Boebert (R‑CO), applaud Trump’s “strong stance against overreach,” while others argue that a sudden roll‑back could have unforeseen economic and environmental repercussions.

Automakers have largely opposed the proposal. President of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA), John R. Harbaugh, has urged Congress to “block any rollback” and to “protect the investment” that firms have made in fuel‑efficient technologies. He notes that many automakers have already committed to the new standards and have begun redesigning vehicles to meet them. “The auto industry is no longer the small, fragmented industry of the past,” Harbaugh said. “We are in a transition period where the market is starting to demand clean technology, and this roll‑back would send the wrong message.”

Environmental and Energy Perspectives

Environmental groups have been equally critical. The Sierra Club’s Director of Climate Policy, Maya Jaffrey, said the proposal “undoes decades of progress” on emissions reductions and would increase CO₂ emissions by an estimated 70 million metric tons over the next decade. She added that the rollback would also have a significant impact on the national electricity grid, as more fossil‑fuel vehicles would increase gasoline consumption.

Energy experts highlight that the proposal would undermine the Biden administration’s strategy to meet its Paris Agreement commitments. Dr. Emily L. Johnson, a professor of environmental economics at the University of Washington, explains that “lower fuel‑economy standards mean higher fuel consumption, which directly translates into higher emissions.” She also notes that this could hamper the United States’ competitiveness in a market that is increasingly shifting toward electrification.

What Could Happen Next?

The roll‑back is not yet a law. Trump’s proposal would require an executive order or new legislation to take effect, and both options face significant hurdles in the current political climate. The Biden administration has already indicated that it will continue to enforce the current standards until at least 2030, and any move to reverse them would need to pass through the Department of Transportation and EPA’s regulatory review processes.

Given the strong bipartisan divide on climate and economic policy, it is uncertain whether Trump’s proposal will find legislative or executive support. Nonetheless, the proposal has already prompted a vigorous debate about the balance between economic competitiveness, consumer choice, and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse‑gas emissions.

Bottom Line

Trump’s call to roll back the Biden‑era fuel‑economy standards represents a sharp reversal of policy that has been widely accepted as a key tool in the fight against climate change. The proposal has elicited fierce opposition from Democrats, environmentalists, and many in the auto industry, while also garnering support from a segment of Republicans who view the standards as overly burdensome. The debate over this issue will likely continue into the next election cycle, as lawmakers, automakers, and environmental advocates weigh the economic and environmental stakes of rolling back decades of progress toward cleaner transportation.