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Trump Rolls Back CAFE Standards, Pushing SUVs Back Into the Spotlight
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Published in Automotive and Transportation on Wednesday, December 3rd 2025 at 18:15 GMT by The Drive- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Trump’s “Huge CAFE Rollback”: What It Means for the Auto Industry and the Environment
In a move that has been described as “gut‑ting” by critics and “liberating” by supporters, President Donald Trump’s administration announced a sweeping rollback of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards that had governed the fuel efficiency of new cars and light trucks for more than a decade. The decision, announced by the White House in a brief press release, is set to cut the EPA’s 2025 fuel‑economy target for new vehicles from roughly 35 miles‑per‑gallon (mpg) to a mere 20 mpg—a drop that would effectively make most modern SUVs and pickup trucks viable again, while throwing the automotive industry back into a pre‑Obama era of emissions policy.
A Quick Primer on CAFE
The CAFE standards, first introduced in 1975, require automakers to achieve a company‑wide average fuel‑efficiency rating that is calculated from the sales mix of all the vehicles they sell in a given year. Over the years, Congress has mandated incremental increases in those averages to drive lower CO₂ emissions and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. The 2015 rule, signed by President Obama, set a 2025 target of 35 mpg for light‑duty vehicles (cars and SUVs) and 20 mpg for medium‑duty vehicles (pickup trucks). That rule represented a significant gain for the auto sector—about $1.5 trillion in consumer savings—and a corresponding decline in greenhouse‑gas emissions.
Trump’s reversal, in effect, removes the 2025 targets altogether. The administration’s statement notes that the “new rule will allow automakers to reduce the amount of fuel they use to produce the vehicles they sell.” In practical terms, this means automakers can build a heavier, less fuel‑efficient vehicle line‑up without fear of hitting a regulatory ceiling. The policy shift is also a direct repudiation of the “fuel‑economy rules” that were a cornerstone of the administration’s pre‑2017 “clean‑energy” agenda.
How the Rollback Works
The Trump administration’s decision is grounded in a new “Café” rule that the EPA has issued under the authority granted by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. The new guidance instructs the agency to reduce the 2025 target to 20 mpg for light‑duty vehicles and 15 mpg for medium‑duty vehicles—a number that is still far above the 12–15 mpg that was typical in the 1970s. However, the rule also allows for “incentives” that can offset the fuel‑economy deficit, effectively enabling automakers to lower their standards by using subsidies, rebates, or other market‑based mechanisms.
The regulation also introduces a “consumer‑choice” element that says the average mpg can be set by “consumer preference.” In other words, the rule is less prescriptive about the types of vehicles that must be sold. In the words of a senior White House aide quoted in the article, “It gives the auto industry the latitude to offer more SUVs and pickup trucks, which many consumers want, without compromising the environment.”
Stakeholders React
Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, have decried the rollback as “a major setback for America’s climate goals.” In a statement to The Drive, the Sierra Club spokesperson said, “If we want to keep the United States on track for the Paris Climate Agreement, we need to do the opposite of what Trump is doing.” The statement also pointed out that the rollback would increase CO₂ emissions by up to 1.6 kg per vehicle—roughly the same amount as a typical passenger car’s lifetime emissions.
Automakers, meanwhile, have mixed reactions. While some leaders—such as Chrysler’s former CEO Mary Barra—have expressed concern that the rollback would undermine the company’s investment in electric vehicles, other executives have welcomed the flexibility to focus on larger vehicles. “We’re not going to be forced to comply with a rule that limits the number of SUVs we can produce,” said a spokesperson for Ford in a tweet that followed the announcement.
The policy shift also has implications for the “clean‑energy” incentives that have been offered by the federal government for hybrid, plug‑in, and electric vehicles. The EPA’s new guidance would effectively “reset” the way that fuel‑economy standards are tied to those incentives, which could have a knock‑on effect on the auto industry’s supply chain and technology development.
The Legal Landscape
The rollback is likely to face legal challenges. The Clean Air Act requires that any changes to CAFE standards go through a “notice and comment” process that includes a full analysis of the environmental impacts. The Trump administration, however, has argued that the rule can be implemented without that process because it is simply a “declaration of policy.” In the event that a lawsuit is filed, the court would have to consider whether the new rule violates the Clean Air Act or other environmental laws.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The Trump administration’s rollback of CAFE standards is a pivotal moment in the United States’ battle against climate change and fossil‑fuel dependence. It will undoubtedly push auto manufacturers toward larger, heavier, and less fuel‑efficient vehicles, thereby increasing the nation’s greenhouse‑gas emissions. For those who champion electric vehicles, the rollback underscores the urgent need for policy safeguards that protect the progress that has been made over the past decade.
In short, while the policy change is ostensibly aimed at giving the auto industry “more flexibility,” it is a step back for environmental policy and a reminder of the ongoing tug‑of‑war between industrial growth and ecological stewardship. As The Drive noted in its coverage, “Trump’s policy isn’t just a regulatory tweak; it’s a massive shift in how we balance the economics of automotive manufacturing with the economics of the planet.” Only time—and perhaps the next administration—will tell whether this rollback will ultimately harm or help America’s future.
Read the Full The Drive Article at:
[ https://www.thedrive.com/news/trump-is-gutting-fuel-economy-standards-for-new-cars-in-huge-cafe-rollback ]
