The Trump administration rolled out a plan Thursday to weaken the Obama administration’s aggressive fuel economy and global warming standards for cars and strip California of its ability to determine its own vehicle regulations for greenhouse gas emissions.
In a major rebuke of a key pillar of former President Obama’s legacy that's certain to end up in court, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) declared that the heightened emissions standards set to take effect for cars built from 2021 and 2026 are unreasonable for both economic and safety reasons.
The Obama administration set the standards in 2012 as part of a set of rules meant to intensify from 2017 through 2026.
Instead, the EPA and DOT are now proposing freezing the standards at their planned 2020 level, canceling any future strengthening.
The agencies said new cars and light trucks built in 2020 through 2026 would average 37 miles per gallon under the proposed freeze. Obama’s rule would have resulted in 54.5 miles per gallon by 2026.
Get the Exclusive
04.28.2025