Environmental groups sue Trump administration over vehicle MPG rollback

Environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Trump administration over its rollback of vehicle fuel efficiency standards, claiming it would increase gasoline consumption and raise prices for U.S. motorists. The suit targets changes made by the Department of Transportation to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which mandate how many miles per gallon vehicles must achieve. These new rules set a fleetwide average requirement of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031, down from a projected 50.4 mpg under previous Biden administration regulations. In response to the rollback, Katherine Garcia, director at Sierra Club, criticized the move for potentially wasting more money on gas and increasing toxic air pollution in communities. The Department of Transportation argued that these revised standards would reduce upfront vehicle costs by $1,300 annually, decrease oil consumption, and provide automakers greater flexibility in manufacturing car types.