What it means for consumers
President Donald Trump’s administration has been sued for a second time over its plan to cut federal vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards.
The New York Attorney General’s office, Letitia James, said they filed a lawsuit along with 36 other states, counties, and cities against the US Environmental Protection Agency challenging the agency’s recent decision to overturn Obama-era scientific findings that greenhouse gas emissions from cars and other sources are dangerous to public health. The lawsuit was filed Thursday, March 19 in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
An earlier lawsuit was filed in the same court by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups on Feb. 18.
The EPA defended its decision to revoke the climate finding, saying in a statement provided to USA TODAY that it “carefully reviewed and reviewed the legal basis for the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the text of the (Clean Air Act), and the validity of the Endangerment Finding in light of subsequent legal developments and court decisions.”
The Trump administration has promised that rolling back tough fuel economy regulations would allow automakers to make cheaper cars, but James’ office said the EPA’s decision “contradicts overwhelming scientific evidence of the continuing threat posed by climate change.”
“Across our country, communities are already suffering from climate disasters,” James said in a statement. “Instead of helping the American people face our new reality, the Trump administration has chosen denial, dismantling critical safeguards that are fundamental to the federal government’s response to climate change.”
What Does It Mean for Consumers as Car and Gas Prices Go Up?
Car buyers are reeling from gas prices that averaged $3.88 per gallon on Thursday, March 19, according to the AAA Auto Club. That’s up from an average of $3.60 a week ago on March 12, and $2.93 one month ago on February 19.
Car buyers are also dealing with sticker shock in showrooms with the average price of a new car in February 2026 hitting $49,353, according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.
Federal fuel economy regulations that the Trump administration is trying to repeal require automakers to produce vehicles that can run more than 50 miles per gallon by 2031.
The White House says eliminating these rules will significantly lower sticker prices for many car buyers.
“This action will eliminate more than $1.3 trillion in regulatory costs and help lower auto prices significantly,” Trump said at a Feb. 12 event. White House announcing action.
Environmentalists and Trump critics strongly disagree, saying the administration’s decision to declare the 2009 crash illegal is based on junk science and likely won’t lower car prices at all.
“The American people need their leaders to be honest and talk about the dangers of climate change,” James said. “We will not allow the federal government to abandon its responsibility to the people.”
What Happened to Auto Prices When Trump Ended Violating Federal Fuel Regulations?
In March 2017, Trump began announcing his plan to roll back tough fuel economy regulations enacted under former President Barack Obama that would have required automakers to get 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. When Trump made that announcement, the average price of a new car was $34,342, according to Kelley Blue Book.
Trump’s initial pushback led to federal fuel-mileage standards being frozen at about 39 miles per gallon for the 2021 to 2026 model years. The change in long-distance rules coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a dramatic increase in the prices of cars and many other goods.
When former President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he quickly moved to restore the strict economic standards of the Obama era. Biden eventually settled on a plan announced in August 2021 that would have required automakers to achieve fleetwide averages of 50 miles per gallon by 2031. The average price of a new car at the time was $43,355.
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Trump’s EPA sued over US gasoline law rollback: What it means for consumers
Reporting by Keith Laing, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
