US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he is ending Joe Biden’s federal fuel economy standards, Fox News reported. These rules, known as CAFE standards, decide how fuel-efficient new cars and light trucks must be. Trump said the Biden rules were too strict and made cars much more expensive. According to the White House, removing these rules will save American families $109 billion in total.
Trump cancels Biden-era fuel standards
In an Oval Office announcement, Trump said, “We are officially terminating Joe Biden’s ridiculously burdensome CAFE standards. They caused all kinds of problems for carmakers and pushed car prices up.” “And we’re not only talking about outside of our country, because nobody could do it. Nobody wanted to do it. And it was ridiculous, very expensive. It put tremendous upward pressure on car prices, combined with the insane electric vehicle mandate. Biden’s burdensome regulations have caused the price of cars to soar more than 25%, and in one case, they went up 18% in one year,” he continued.
He also claimed the Biden rules, along with the hype for electric cars, increased car prices by more than 25%, and in one year, by 18%. The White House earlier told Fox News, Biden’s standards would have raised the cost of a new car by about $1,000.
Top auto executives support Trump
Before the announcement, Fox News reported that the CEOs of Ford and Stellantis, and a senior leader from General Motors, were invited to the White House. Ford CEO Jim Farley said he welcomed the decision, calling it “a win for customers and common sense.” He added that the company can still work on reducing emissions while keeping cars affordable.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the new rules will let them offer vehicles that people actually want, at prices they can afford. GM also said it supports one national fuel standard that matches “market realities” and gives customers more choice, according to Fox News. The company added, “We have long advocated for one national standard that upholds customer choice and provides the auto industry long-term stability. As we review the proposal, we remain committed to offering the best and broadest portfolio of electric and gas-powered vehicles on the market.”
What Are CAFE Standards?
CAFE standards were introduced in 1975 to push carmakers to make vehicles that use less fuel, which helps reduce pollution. During Trump’s first term, he rolled back Obama-era fuel rules. When Biden came into office, he tightened them again. Biden wanted new vehicles to reach around 50 miles per gallon by 2031. Meanwhile, Trump’s new plan lowers that target to about 34 miles per gallon by 2031, according to the Guardian.
Trump argued that Biden’s targets were impossible to meet with today’s technology for regular petrol cars. He said they would have forced families to buy electric cars even if they didn’t want them.
At the event, Trump criticised Biden’s climate policies. He said the “Green New Deal” was the “greatest scam in American history” and that Biden wanted to “end the gasoline-powered car.”
“The greatest scam in American history, the Green New Scam. And it’s a quest to end the gasoline-powered car. This is what they wanted to do, even though we have more gasoline than any other country by far. And people want the gasoline car. They want everything. They want electric. They want to have lots of alternatives. But they do want the gasoline car. Right now, it’s leading away by a lot,” Trump said during the event,” According to Fox News.