Trump rolls back Biden-era fuel economy standards, paving way for more gas-powered cars

[Sherminator98]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-rolls-back-biden-era-fuel-economy-standards-paving-way-for-more-gas-powered-cars-212656060.html

[akirby]

Quote

“Today is a victory for common sense and affordability,” Farley said at the event. “This is the right move … We will invest more in affordable vehicles.”

 

[morgan20]

Trump also signed legislation this year that ended fuel economy penalties for automakers

Based on that statement, what difference does this "roll back" make?

 

When the big shot in the White House, the Congress critters, and the agency bureaucrats do all of the following, THAT will be a (partial) victory for common sense.

1. Repeal CAFE altogether
2. Index the federal gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax to inflation
3. Get rid of the ridiculously outdated DOT lighting regulations

[mackinaw]

Notice who was at the White House for the announcement.  CEO Farley from Ford, CEO Antonio Filosa from Stellantis, and plant manager John Urbanic from GM.  Yes, a plant manager.  Guess Mary Barra had other plans.  

[morgan20]

9 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

Notice who was at the White House for the announcement.  CEO Farley from Ford, CEO Antonio Filosa from Stellantis, and plant manager John Urbanic from GM.  Yes, a plant manager.  Guess Mary Barra had other plans.  

 

A big shot here, a big shot there, who cares? It's obvious this is a political stunt

[akirby]

38 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

Guess Mary Barra had other plans.  

‘I heard she had a nail appointment….. 

 

(ducks and runs)

[DeluxeStang]

It's well documented that strict emissions regulations played a sizable role in brands like Ford phasing out smaller, affordable cars over time, it was just too difficult to make money on them. I wonder if they'll be thinking about bringing some of those models back to the states with these changes. 

[blazerdude20]

1 hour ago, morgan20 said:

Trump also signed legislation this year that ended fuel economy penalties for automakers

Based on that statement, what difference does this "roll back" make?

 

When the big shot in the White House, the Congress critters, and the agency bureaucrats do all of the following, THAT will be a (partial) victory for common sense.

1. Repeal CAFE altogether
2. Index the federal gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax to inflation
3. Get rid of the ridiculously outdated DOT lighting regulations

The gas tax indexed to inflation would handle most of this naturally. The federal gas tax hasn’t gone up since the early 90’s. Everything else has gone up in price significantly. Creating a much smaller pool of real world dollars for transportation projects. 

[GearheadGrrrl]

GM CEO Mary Bara was wisely elsewhere at a NY Times economic forum.

[rmc523]

52 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

It's well documented that strict emissions regulations played a sizable role in brands like Ford phasing out smaller, affordable cars over time, it was just too difficult to make money on them. I wonder if they'll be thinking about bringing some of those models back to the states with these changes. 

 

The problem I see with that, though, is that it would take years to restart those kind of programs since Ford axed them in Europe too.  And the next admin could potentially reverse this decision and put them right back in place just as Ford is getting ready to launch them.  Since they dropped Fiesta/Focus overseas, they can't just start shipping them over ("easiest" path).

 

43 minutes ago, blazerdude20 said:

The gas tax indexed to inflation would handle most of this naturally. The federal gas tax hasn’t gone up since the early 90’s. Everything else has gone up in price significantly. Creating a much smaller pool of real world dollars for transportation projects. 

 

It's a 3rd rail - while it probably should be done, nobody wants to put their name on raising taxes on everyone like that.

[morgan20]

16 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

It's well documented that strict emissions regulations played a sizable role in brands like Ford phasing out smaller, affordable cars over time, it was just too difficult to make money on them. I wonder if they'll be thinking about bringing some of those models back to the states with these changes. 

 

If Ford does bring back smaller affordable cars over time, it's because the company is able to innovate with products and production processes, like what it's doing with the skunkworks, Universal Electric Platform, and Universal Electric Vehicle Production System.

 

Them politicians, industry lobbyists, and company big shots can huff and puff all they want about what’s good for consumers and the auto industry. But in the end only innovation and forward thinking management can achieve that, not changes in regulations

 

 

 

 

[Motorpsychology]

We 

2 hours ago, blazerdude20 said:

The gas tax indexed to inflation would handle most of this naturally. The federal gas tax hasn’t gone up since the early 90’s. Everything else has gone up in price significantly. Creating a much smaller pool of real world dollars for transportation projects. 

10-4.

The federal gasoline tax was last raised to 18.4¢ per gallon in 1993. Adjusting for inflation, that would be 32.8¢ today, or an increase of 14.4¢; the pump price goes up and down more than that routinely, it could be baked in and life would go on. Or, (quietly) raise it by a penny a month for say, 15 mos. With the prices jumping up and down as much as 20¢/gal over a 10 day-2 wk time span, no one would notice a 1¢ fed gas tax buried in there. Roads and bridges are wearing out faster due to increased traffic and overall heavier vehicles, and funding has not kept up, projects are being postponed or cancelled

Nobody wants to raise any tax; the third rail mentioned above. But highway use tax is the most equitable and efficient way to generate funds for our roadways.

 

I'm talking about roadways; not to be used for light rail, arial drone busses and the like. 

 

I yield back to the Forum.

[DeluxeStang]

1 hour ago, rmc523 said:

 

The problem I see with that, though, is that it would take years to restart those kind of programs since Ford axed them in Europe too.  And the next admin could potentially reverse this decision and put them right back in place just as Ford is getting ready to launch them.  Since they dropped Fiesta/Focus overseas, they can't just start shipping them over ("easiest" path).

This is why politicians need to be more consistent with regulations. Automakers need a semblance of stability, to know where the industry is going in, and that just feels almost impossible to predict right now. 

[DeluxeStang]

1 hour ago, morgan20 said:

 

If Ford does bring back smaller affordable cars over time, it's because the company is able to innovate with products and production processes, like what it's doing with the skunkworks, Universal Electric Platform, and Universal Electric Vehicle Production System.

 

Them politicians, industry lobbyists, and company big shots can huff and puff all they want about what’s good for consumers and the auto industry. But in the end only innovation and forward thinking management can achieve that, not changes in regulations

 

 

 

 

Agreed, Ford should apply much of what they learned during the engineering and manufacturing process of CE1 and carry as much of that over to their ICE offerings as possible. 

[Dequindre]

This is hopefully the valve that releases the pressure that the automotive industry has been feeling over the past few years. 

[Biker16]

22 hours ago, akirby said:

 

 

We're going to be waiting a long time before we see affordable cars from this industry. 

[akirby]

1 hour ago, Biker16 said:

 

We're going to be waiting a long time before we see affordable cars from this industry. 

It makes it possible whereas the old rules made it almost impossible.  Someone will fill that void but don't expect to see $11k Nissan Versas.  Affordable doesn't mean cheap sedans or tiny cars.

[Sherminator98]

1 hour ago, Biker16 said:

 

We're going to be waiting a long time before we see affordable cars from this industry. 

 

There is a huge difference between affordable and cheap cars. 

[DeluxeStang]

17 minutes ago, akirby said:

It makes it possible whereas the old rules made it almost impossible.  Someone will fill that void but don't expect to see $11k Nissan Versas.  Affordable doesn't mean cheap sedans or tiny cars.

Will we see the return of the 13k Ford fiesta? I strongly doubt it. Do I believe this increases the likelihood of Ford bringing a new fusion here that starts at under 30k? Yeah I do. 

[akirby]

13 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

Will we see the return of the 13k Ford fiesta? I strongly doubt it. Do I believe this increases the likelihood of Ford bringing a new fusion here that starts at under 30k? Yeah I do. 

I think it's more likely we'll see a HEV/PHEV small truck or suv based on ce1 Design and Manufacturing techniques to lower costs.  If the EV starts at $30K then an ICE version might come in closer to $20K.

[DeluxeStang]

18 minutes ago, akirby said:

I think it's more likely we'll see a HEV/PHEV small truck or suv based on ce1 Design and Manufacturing techniques to lower costs.  If the EV starts at $30K then an ICE version might come in closer to $20K.

It'll be interesting to see if CE1 style designs can accommodate ICE powertrains. A potential packaging issue is if the truck and other models have a cab forward, short hood look, it might be really challenging to package an ICE powertrain and other necessary items in there in a way that doesn't make it an absolute nightmare to work on. 

[DeluxeStang]

35 minutes ago, akirby said:

I think it's more likely we'll see a HEV/PHEV small truck or suv based on ce1 Design and Manufacturing techniques to lower costs.  If the EV starts at $30K then an ICE version might come in closer to $20K.

They left it open ended when asked at that reveal event if it could accommodate other kinds of powertrains which implies they're at least thinking about it. 

[Biker16]

2 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

There is a huge difference between affordable and cheap cars. 

 

Can you explain the difference? 

[Biker16]

To be clear, the industry can build affordable cars, but the stock market and investors are not incentivizing them to do so. There aren't groups of investors clamoring for Ford to make affordable cars, but there is a large group of investors clamoring for Ford to continue to make high-margin, large fuel-guzzling vehicles. That have driven company profits for the better part of four decades. 

 

Every financial report from Ford in the last two decades have highlighted average selling price as a key fundamental for the company. ASP growth has led to profit growth, affordability will do the opposite unless structural changes are made to reduce the cost structure. Which is challenging in a high tariff environment. 

[twintornados]

48 minutes ago, Biker16 said:

 

Can you explain the difference? 

 

Had this discussion on another site....what was once an American hallmark, we shopped for what is "good".... in the late 70's early 80's...that began to change and Americans shopped for what is "good enough"...there is a fine line drawn between the two but the quality gap between what is considered "good" as opposed to what is accepted as "good enough" is huge. 

Edited December 5, 2025 by twintornados