Led by California, nearly two dozen states sued the Trump administration on Friday over its rollback of fuel efficiency standards for cars, arguing that the move was based on a faulty analysis and violated federal law. The lawsuit continued an escalating legal battle between President Trump and California, which said it has now sued the administration 97 times.
The federal Transportation Department announced it would sharply scale back fuel efficiency rules, requiring an average of 34.9 miles per gallon by model year 2031, far below the Biden-era standard of 50.4 m.p.g. The states argue the new rules are illegal because they do not set standards at the “maximum feasible” level, as required by law.
“The administration can’t manipulate its analysis to reach the result it wants,” Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, said. The Trump administration’s analysis estimated its rules would cut car prices by $1,289 but increase fuel costs by $1,624 over time. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the rules, saying the Biden administration had created an “electric vehicle mandate.”
Auto industry groups have criticized the shifting standards. “What the industry needs is long-term regulatory stability,” said John Bozzella of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing