A group representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other major automakers has backed the Trump administration in a legal fight over its reduced US fuel economy standards. California and other states, cities and counties are challenging the rules in court.
the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, whose members include GM, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford and Stellantis, filed its position with the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals. It said manufacturers need stable, predictable standards, warning that setting the rules aside could disrupt investment planning and the development and testing of hundreds of vehicle models intended for the US market.
The Transportation Department said last month it was finalizing a fleet-wide average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031. That is lower than the 50.4 mpg standard approved under President Joe Biden in 2024.
The states argue that the administration’s analysis fails to account for millions of electric vehicles, distorting its assessment of the maximum feasible fuel economy level. The automaker group asked the court to reject that argument. Environmental and consumer groups have also filed a separate lawsuit against the rules.
According to the Transportation Department, the regulation would cut manufacturers’ average compliance costs by $1,289 per vehicle, while increasing fuel costs by more than $1,600 over a vehicle’s lifetime. The department also estimates that US gasoline consumption through 2050 would be 4.6% higher—about 121 billion gallons—than under the Biden rules, while new car sales would rise.
The American Petroleum Institute has also supported the administration’s rules, arguing that fuel economy standards should not require consumers to buy vehicles that use less fuel than they would otherwise choose.
Sources: Investing.com News.