NHTSA Urged to Maintain Fuel Economy Standards

(Washington, D.C. - February 4, 2026) - A coalition of health, consumer and environmental groups told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that its plan to gut fuel-economy standards for cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks is irrevocably flawed and should be withdrawn.

Comments submitted today from NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Public Citizen, Conservation Law Foundation, and the Environmental Law & Policy Center laid out the legal and technical flaws with NHTSA's plan and explained why gutting fuel-economy standards would be harmful for Americans' wallets and health.

The proposal would weaken existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards by lowering the expected fleetwide average to just 34.5 miles per gallon by 2031, which is below what the vehicle fleet has already achieved. NHTSA predicts that its proposal would force the average driver to pay $1,400 more in fuel costs over the lifetime of their vehicle, with the additional fuel costs outweighing the claimed savings in upfront vehicle purchase prices by hundreds of dollars. This action would not only make cars less affordable for the average American, but also drive the country backwards by making vehicle fleets less efficient.

NHTSA's proposed standards, "would hurt American families by forcing them to spend more money at the gas pump and by worsening air pollution across the country," the groups say in their comments.

The following statements are from the environmental and consumer groups submitting comments:

"This rollback goes so much further than even what was tried in the first Trump administration," said Kathy Harris, director of the clean vehicles program at NRDC. "If this rule gets finalized, it will deliver a harsh blow to American families struggling to keep up with rising prices. It would raise drivers' costs at the pump while worsening air pollution across the country."

"Everything about this proposal threatens the well-being of Americans," said Sierra Club Senior Attorney Josh Berman. "Families are already grappling with rising heating bills, medical expenses, and grocery prices - and with this proposal, our cars will become less efficient and more expensive to drive. To make matters worse, less efficient cars will increase air pollution, worsening our air quality and multiplying our health care costs. We urge the Department of Transportation to leave these common-sense fuel economy standards alone."

"The Trump administration is rewarding oil companies and punishing consumers with their weak standards," said David Pettit, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute. "Following the law would save people money and clean the air we breathe. That's not a heavy lift with today's technology. But the Trump administration is choosing to put corporate profits for its big campaign donors first. Drivers will pay the price to use more gas and pollute more, while Big Oil profits."

"Fuel economy standards should be designed to deliver fuel efficient cars, saving consumers money and reducing toxic pollution that harms public health," said Adina Rosenbaum, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group. "The Trump administration's proposal is bad for consumers and rolls back decades of progress toward cleaner cars and cleaner air."

"Weakening the CAFE standards will add more pollution to the air we breathe, put us all at greater risk for serious health problems, and saddle American families with higher gas bills for years to come," said Andy Su, attorney, Environmental Defense Fund. "No one in America is hoping to spend more at the gas pump. People want cars that are safe and save money - and this proposal drives us in the wrong direction."

Comments are due today on the proposed rule.