Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wasted no time after being sworn in Tuesday, quickly ordering a review of fuel economy standards Republicans blame for surging vehicle costs.
But easing the standards won’t give consumers much price relief because supply chain constraints, tight inventories, the expansion of new technologies like autonomous driving and consumer preference for larger, heavier vehicles are more influential contributors to increasing vehicle costs, auto experts say.
Duffy signed a memo directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to start a rulemaking to rescind or replace current and future Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, which require passenger cars and light trucks to get 50.4 miles per gallon by model year 2031.
President Donald Trump and other Republicans have lambasted the standards as part of a de facto Biden-era electric vehicle “mandate” that they argue has driven up prices for consumers. DOT blamed a 15 percent increase in the average price of new vehicles between 2021 and 2024 on the Biden standards.