Major Automakers Back Trump Fuel-Economy Rollback in Court Fight

A group representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other major automakers on Monday backed the Trump administration in a legal challenge to its sharply lower vehicle fuel economy standards filed by California and other states.

Last month, the US Transportation Department said it was finalizing a fleetwide fuel economy average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031, down from the 50.4 miles per gallon that had been approved under then-President Joe Biden in 2024. The figure is a fleetwide average, not a mileage requirement for each car.

The backing marks the industry's latest move in the court fight over the rollback, separate from the Transportation Department's earlier decision to finalize the lower standards.