Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and other Cabinet officials will be visiting with automakers Friday and Saturday to talk about car affordability as the White House is working to lower prices for Americans.
The initiative comes as auto affordability is on the minds of many: The average price of a new vehicle is $50,326 and the typical monthly car payment is $767, according to Cox Automotive. President Donald Trump has made efforts to lower prices — the GOP megalaw allows those who buy new cars to deduct interest from their auto loans, and Trump relaxed vehicle fuel economy standards.
Duffy will be joined on the trip by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. They’ll visit a Ford plant and a Stellantis plant in Ohio on Friday, followed by a Saturday appearance at the Detroit Auto Show. Duffy plans to tout the recent rollback of Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and more consumer choice, a person familiar with the plans and granted anonymity to discuss the plans told POLITICO.
The trip was spearheaded by DOT, a second person familiar with the planning told POLITICO. Duffy is set to tour Stellantis’ Toledo plant, where the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator are made. In 2025, the automaker announced the plant in Toledo would make a new midsize Ram pickup truck, which is gaining traction among price-conscious pickup consumers.
