NHTSA Proposes Resetting MPG Standards

Federal regulators are looking to roll back fuel economy requirements on trucks and passenger vehicles, according to a recent filing.

An interpretative rule issued June 11 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lays the groundwork for resetting fuel economy standards for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program and the medium and heavy-duty fuel efficiency (MDHD) programs.

In its filing, NHTSA contended that more stringent CAFE fuel efficiency standards set by the previous administration in 2022 and 2024 violate U.S. Code Section 32902(h). According to the notice, NHTSA previously factored alternative fuel vehicles and the full capabilities of dual-fuel vehicles into its fuel economy calculations, which is “inconsistent with a plain reading” of the statute. The net effect of that change was significantly increased fuel economy standards, which NHTSA is now seeking to roll back.

The notice added that the agency “is also reviewing the existing MDHD standards, including those standards for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans.” NHTSA stated that it will apply the same interpretation to MDHD that it is seeking to apply to CAFE.

NHTSA’s position aligns with a memo sent by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in January, instructing the agency to review and reconsider the previous administration’s fuel economy standards for model years 2022 onward.

NHTSA added that it will “exercise enforcement discretion” for existing fuel economy standards, “pending the rulemaking process for the establishment of replacement standards.”