EDITION OF TUE 6 OCT 2026
248 · GENERAL

Trump Administration Cuts Fuel Economy Target to 34.9 MPG by 2031

publishers 52articles 58first reported 27 Sep, 00:30 UTCdeveloping since 27 Sep · 10 editions

The Trump administration has finalized rules sharply reducing federal fuel-economy requirements for new passenger cars and light trucks, setting a fleetwide target of 34.9 miles per gallon for model year 2031. The Biden administration had called for 50.4 mpg by the same year.

The Transportation Department’s rule permits annual fuel-efficiency increases of no more than 1 percent and applies to model years 2022 through 2031. Beginning with model year 2028, automakers will no longer be able to use emissions credits toward compliance. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be excluded from calculations of a manufacturer’s fleet average.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the changes would reduce vehicle prices and give automakers more freedom to produce vehicles consumers want. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Jonathan Morrison said lower prices would allow more families to buy newer, safer cars. The administration also said General Motors’ technology costs could fall by $20 billion through 2031, according to Yahoo Finance.

Environmental advocates disputed the administration’s cost argument. Andy Su, a transportation lawyer with the Environmental Defense Fund, told Scientific American that reduced efficiency would increase gasoline use, pollution and household expenses, estimating at least $1,600 in additional fuel costs over a vehicle’s lifetime.

The rollback is the latest administration action reversing policies intended to accelerate sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE

Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 16 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.

Publishers
52
Source articles
58
Given to the writer
8, 3 with the article's own text
Independent newsrooms
8
This version written
16 h after the record first saw the story
Second model (editor)
revised
Publication gate
passed
Human review
none

WHAT THE EDITOR DID

The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.

WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: The story needs a timing detail narrowed to what the sources say. - "Beginning with model year 2028, automakers will no longer be able to use emissions credits toward compliance, and electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be excluded from calculations of a manufacturer’s fleet average.": The sources support the 2028 timing for eliminating emissions credits, but do not attach that timing to the exclusion of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from fleet-average calculations.

THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES

Trump Administration Cuts Fuel Economy Target to 34.9 MPG by 2031

The Trump administration has finalized rules sharply reducing federal fuel-economy requirements for new passenger cars and light trucks, setting a fleetwide target of 34.9 miles per gallon for model year 2031. The Biden administration had called for 50.4 mpg by the same year. The Transportation Department’s rule permits annual fuel-efficiency increases of no more than 1 percent and applies to model years 2022 through 2031. Beginning with model year 2028, automakers will no longer be able to use emissions credits toward compliance,compliance. and electricElectric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be excluded from calculations of a manufacturer’s fleet average. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the changes would reduce vehicle prices and give automakers more freedom to produce vehicles consumers want. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Jonathan Morrison said lower prices would allow more families to buy newer, safer cars. The administration also said General Motors’ technology costs could fall by $20 billion through 2031, according to Yahoo Finance. Environmental advocates disputed the administration’s cost argument. Andy Su, a transportation lawyer with the Environmental Defense Fund, told Scientific American that reduced efficiency would increase gasoline use, pollution and household expenses, estimating at least $1,600 in additional fuel costs over a vehicle’s lifetime. The rollback is the latest administration action reversing policies intended to accelerate sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →

NAMED IN THE COVERAGE

OUTLETS CARRYING THE STORY, RUN BY RUN

0 26 53 28 Sep 29 Sep 30 Sep 1 Oct 2 Oct 3 Oct 4 Oct 5 Oct 6 Oct 28 Sep 18:15 UTC · Trump administration sharply reduces fuel economy requirements for new vehicles 29 Sep 00:07 UTC · Trump Administration Finalizes Weaker Fuel Economy Standards 1 Oct 16:26 UTC · Trump Administration Cuts Fuel Economy Target to 34.9 MPG by 2031

WHAT HELD, WHAT CAME LATER

From the first reports to the latest

  • Donald Trump · 4 outlets

Entered the story later

  • Nothing new took hold after the first third.

Figures reported with different numbers

  • miles gallon: 50.4 (4 from 28 Sep 13:26) → 34.9 (3 from 28 Sep 16:07) → 35.4 (1 from 28 Sep 20:57)

Matched by pattern, not read: a different number can be a correction, a rising count, or two different counts.

HOW THIS STORY DEVELOPED: EVERY HEADLINE, EVERY OUTLET →