By ALEXA ST. JOHN

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump this week announced plans to weaken rules for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, set under former President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration said the rules, known formally as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards, are why new vehicles are too expensive, and that cutting them will drive down costs and make driving safer for Americans.

The new standards would drop the industry fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles to roughly 34.5 mpg in the 2031 model year, down from the goal of about 50.4 mpg that year under the Biden-era rule.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Washi

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