Drivers will pay the price for Trump’s fuel economy rollbacks

The Transportation Department finalized a rollback of fuel efficiency rules for new cars and light trucks. Starting in 2031, automakers will only need to hit an average of 34.9 miles per gallon, down from the 50.4 mpg standard set under the Biden administration. The government's own analysis found that this change will cost drivers of new cars an average of $1,624 more in gas over the life of the vehicle, more than any savings on the sticker price. That's on top of gas prices already running around $4.40 a gallon nationally, up about 40% from a year ago.

With weaker federal support for efficiency and electric vehicles, some of the only relief available comes from state programs. California now offers a $3,500 rebate for first-time EV buyers, and states including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island have their own EV incentives and rebates. Since rules vary widely, it's worth checking what your state currently offers if you're weighing a future EV purchase.

Separately, the Rural Energy for America Program, which has helped farmers pay for solar installations, now faces new restrictions limiting project size and location, lowering the share of costs covered, and requiring farmers to install panels before applying for funding. This mainly affects farm properties rather than typical homes, but it reflects a broader pullback in federal clean energy support that has also touched offshore wind and power plant pollution rules now being challenged in court by a coalition of states.