Trump announces proposal to ease fuel economy rules for carmakers

Alsharq Tribune-M.Essam 

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday a proposal to loosen federal fuel economy rules for manufacturers of passenger cars.

"We're officially terminating Joe Biden's ... CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards," said Trump at a press conference in the White House.

The industry fleetwide average fuel economy for passenger cars and light trucks would be roughly 34.5 miles per gallon in model year 2031, rather than 50.4 miles per gallon set by the Biden administration, according to a notice from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The action would lower costs for U.S. consumers, protect U.S. auto jobs, and make buying a car much more affordable for U.S. families, said Trump.

The current standards set by the Biden administration went far beyond the requirements mandated by Congress, said a release by the Department of Transportation on Wednesday.

It said that the proposal is projected to save the U.S. people 109 billion dollars over the next five years and save families 1,000 dollars on the average cost of a new vehicle.

A 45-day public comment period will begin when the proposal is published in the Federal Register, and a public hearing will be held at a date to be announced, said the release.