Trump rolls back a major Biden-era car rule. Here’s how it could affect your next vehicle

The Department of Transportation announced on Monday that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finalized new rules for fuel efficiency standards that will reverse standards set by the Biden administration. Whereas previous standards would have seen new vehicles average 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031, that threshold has now been reduced to 34.9 miles per gallon. President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that fuel efficiency standards would be reversed, touting on his Truth Social account that the changes would “terminate” what he called a “ridiculous EV mandate.” Despite a once-chummy relationship with Elon Musk—which even saw the president supposedly purchase a red Tesla from the CEO in 2025—Trump trashed electric vehicles, calling them “environmental monsters.” Sean Duffy, the Transportation secretary, likewise lambasted the fuel efficiency standards embraced by former President Joe Biden’s administration, claiming that such changes “made our roads less safe and drove up costs for hardworking Americans.” The Department of Transportation is estimating that reduced fuel efficiency standards will lower the average cost of a new vehicle by $1,300 and save liv…