Trump administration moves to finalize weaker CAFE standards near 34.5 mpg by 2031
The Trump administration on Monday planned to release final Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards that would set an industry fleetwide average near 34.5 miles per gallon in model year 2031 — down from a Biden-era path of about 50.4 mpg — further rolling back incentives for electric vehicles as gasoline prices remain elevated.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Associated Press reported Monday that the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) package would set an industry fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles at roughly 34.5 miles per gallon in 2031, compared with a projected 50.4 mpg under Biden-era rules. On Saturday, Trump said on Truth Social the less stringent requirements would "take the waste out of building cars in America" and save families "thousands on a new, beautiful and safe car," while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that the changes would be announced Monday.
Why it matters
Weaker CAFE targets ease pressure on Detroit to electrify pickups and SUVs just as midterms approach and pump prices remain a political vulnerability. Automakers have argued Americans need affordable gasoline vehicles; critics say the rollback raises long-term fuel costs and emissions.
What’s next
Watch the published model-year tables and effective dates, any immediate state or NGO lawsuits, and how Ford, GM, and Stellantis describe product plans once the text is out.
More context
The Trump administration planned to release final vehicle fuel-economy standards on Monday that would sharply lower the fleetwide mileage target automakers must meet by model year 2031, advancing President Donald Trump's pledge to unwind Biden-era rules that pushed more electric and hybrid production.
How we got here: Since taking office, Trump has relaxed tailpipe emissions rules, repealed fines for missing federal mileage standards, and ended consumer credits of up to $7,500 for EV purchases, AP noted. No federal statute ever mandated that half of new vehicle sales be electric by 2030 — a Biden target Trump often labels an "EV mandate." Edmunds data cited by AP put EVs at 6.5% of new sales in February, down from 7.4% for all of 2025.
Price pressure: The average new car sold for $50,089 in August, crossing $50,000 for the first time since last December, Kelley Blue Book data showed, while AAA put the national average gasoline price at $4.47 a gallon on Sunday, up from $4.09 a month earlier amid the Iran war's disruption of fuel flows.
Pushback: Environmental groups condemned the rollback. Dan Becker of the Center for Biological Diversity said the final rule "ignores the feasibility of clean technology" and that "consumers will pay the price for these reckless rollbacks." The Sierra Club's Katherine García said looser standards would "make driving more expensive too" through more gasoline burned and dirtier air. AP also noted NHTSA's earlier estimate that the 2024 standards would have saved 14 billion gallons of gasoline by 2050.
Uncertainty: Until the Federal Register filing is public, treat the 34.5 mpg figure and related cost/emissions estimates as the department's projected final design as reported by AP, not as independently verified rule text. Court challenges are widely expected.
2 listed sources
- Associated Press via WTOP, Sep 28, 2026: Trump administration set to roll out lower fuel economy standards for cars, light trucks
- Reuters; CNBC; POLITICO, Sep 26, 2026: Trump approval / Duffy Monday finalize framing (prior US Brief)
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Monday rollout framing and 34.5 vs 50.4 mpg figures follow Associated Press (via WTOP), Sep 28, 2026, 12:07 a.m., citing NHTSA's December projection for the new standards and Biden-era path. Trump Truth Social and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Saturday comments follow the same AP wrap and prior Sep 26 Reuters/CNBC/POLITICO coverage. Gas price ($4.47 national average Sunday) and Kelley Blue Book average new-car price ($50,089 in August) are AP's. Environmentalist quotes (Dan Becker / Katherine García) are from statements in the AP piece. At early Monday PT drafting, US Brief had not independently retrieved the final Federal Register PDF — treat published mpg tables and effective dates as pending confirmation once the rule text is public. Trump's 'EV mandate' phrasing is his characterization; CAFE is a fleet-efficiency standard, not a statutory EV sales quota. Staleness check ~5:50 a.m. PT Sep 28: no final CAFE rule appeared on the Federal Register public-inspection list; a CBT News report said NHTSA finalized the framework Monday, but US Brief had not confirmed an official NHTSA release, so the 'planned' framing stands.
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