A coalition of environmental and consumer protection groups has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the rollback of federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The plaintiffs argue that the new rule weakens long-standing efficiency requirements, which will lead to increased gasoline consumption and higher costs for drivers.
According to the administration's own projections, the new rule will force Americans to spend over $1,600 more on fuel over the lifetime of the affected vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the policy change will result in an increase of more than 121 billion gallons of fuel consumption through the year 2050.
The previous standards were projected to save 64 billion gallons of gasoline and deliver $35 billion in consumer savings. Under the new rule, manufacturers are permitted to produce a fleet for model year 2031 that is less fuel-efficient than the fleet currently on the road for model year 2024.
The coalition, which includes the Sierra Club, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Public Citizen, seeks to overturn the rule in court. The organizations claim that the rollback prioritizes corporate profits at the expense of household budgets, as transportation currently accounts for roughly 17% of average household spending.
