The Trump administration announced on Monday a new federal rule that drastically reduces fuel efficiency requirements for cars and light trucks in the U.S., under the initiative called "Freedom Means Affordable Cars".
The standard sets an average of 34.9 miles per gallon for vehicles of model year 2031, compared to the 50.4 mpg projected under the previous regulation.
In metric terms, the change is approximately equivalent to moving from 21.4 to 14.8 kilometers per liter, according to MarketScreener.
What the Trump administration says
The Secretary of Transportation, Sean P. Duffy, presented the measure on social media as a relief for families and a boost for domestic manufacturing.
“Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we have ended the illegal mandate that forced manufacturers to produce electric vehicles that American families did not ask for and are more expensive.”, Duffy stated in the official announcement from the Department of Transportation.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the measure will "end" Biden and Buttigieg's electric vehicle mandate, and he claimed that over 100 billion dollars are being invested in the automotive industry under his administration.
The NHTSA administrator, Jonathan Morrison, stated that the rule "restores integrity to the national fuel economy program by balancing vehicle affordability with energy conservation goals."
The arguments in favor: prices and security
The government aims to reduce the average price of a new vehicle by 1,300 dollars and accumulate savings of 138 billion dollars for consumers over five years.
The administration also estimates that more affordable new vehicles would encourage the renewal of the motor vehicle fleet and could help prevent over 300,000 serious injuries. These figures correspond to government projections regarding the effects of the new regulations.
The administration argues that the previous standards exceeded the limits set by law and effectively operated as a "covert mandate" to promote electric vehicles.
General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis viewed the decision positively.
The regulation also eliminates the CAFE credit trading program starting from the 2028 model year and will modify the vehicle classification criteria beginning with the 2030 model year to determine which can be considered light trucks.
This measure is part of a broader policy of automotive deregulation that included a 25% tariff on cars manufactured outside the U.S.
The concerning consequences: higher spending on gasoline
With the new standards, the average efficiency of the fleet for model year 2031 would be 34.9 miles per gallon, compared to the 50.4 mpg projected under the previous regulations.
Taking both averages as a reference, covering the same distance would require approximately 44% more fuel. This comparison, however, refers to the averages established for vehicle fleets and does not mean that each car will individually register that increase in consumption.
The impact on drivers' wallets will depend, among other factors, on the vehicle model, the number of miles driven, and the evolution of gasoline prices.
This increased consumption is particularly significant in the current context: the price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. is around 4.47 dollars, compared to 3.13 dollars a year ago.
A consumer interviewed summarized the dilemma: “I prefer to spend less, right? What good is it for me to pay for a cheap car? I'm still going to spend on gas.”
Environmental groups announce legal actions
Ecological organizations such as Sierra Club rejected the measure and announced that they will challenge it in court.
"This is a step back. We are going to take legal action because manufacturers already have better technologies, and this does not serve families," stated a representative of the Sierra Club to Noticias Telemundo.
Katherine García, the transportation campaign director at the Sierra Club, warned that the lower efficiency requirements "will make driving more expensive," at a time when fuel prices are already straining the budgets of millions of American households.
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