On September 28, 2026, the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a final rule weakening Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2022–2031. NHTSA states that the revised standards fulfill its statutory obligation to establish maximum feasible fuel economy standards and will improve vehicle affordability.
NHTSA projects that the revised standards will result in average fuel economy requirements of approximately 34.9 miles per gallon in model year 2031, compared to 49.3 miles per gallon under the prior standards. The rule reduces anticipated fuel savings and associated greenhouse gas emissions reductions. NHTSA estimates that gasoline consumption through 2050 will be 4.6 percent higher than under the prior standards, while indicating that overall fleet fuel consumption will continue to decline over time as vehicle technology improves and older, less efficient vehicles are retired.
The rule takes effect on November 30, 2026. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register. 91 Fed. Reg. 61988 (September 30, 2026).