New Federal Fuel Economy Rule Rolls Back Standards to Pre-2020 Levels
The Department of Transportation issued a new rule for Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, reportedly rolling back efficiency goals. According to Ars Technica, the new target for model year 2031 is 34.9 mpg, a level lower than standards set even during the 2020 period.
Ars Technica reports that the new rule discourages economical vehicles and represents a rollback to fuel economy numbers not seen in over a decade. The changes mean that, starting in model year 2028, emissions credits will no longer be available to automakers, and plug-in vehicles will no longer count toward an automaker's fleet average, unlike under previous regulations where an EV or PHEV could achieve CAFE ratings in the hundreds of mpg.
The announcement follows Sean Duffy's appointment as Transportation secretary last January, when he stated that fuel efficiency standards established under the Biden administration were defunct. The previous rules were expected to compel automakers to sell a greater volume of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Source: Trump cuts fuel economy standards back to 2014 levels
