Trump administration rolls back fuel economy standards to 2014 levels

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a significant rollback of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, effectively resetting targets to levels not seen since 2014. The new mandate sets a goal of 34.9 mpg by the 2031 model year, a move that signals a major shift away from the previous administration's push for electric vehicle adoption. Under the new rules, emissions credits will be eliminated starting in 2028, and plug-in electric vehicles will no longer be factored into an automaker's fleet average. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the previous administration's efficiency requirements are being abandoned to prioritize traditional internal combustion engines. Industry analysts suggest this policy shift may lead some manufacturers to scale back or entirely discontinue their electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle lineups, as the regulatory pressure to innovate in cleaner engine technology has been significantly reduced.