Weakened US fuel-efficiency rules and promises of cheaper cars could see drivers pay higher running costs while also increasing carbon emissions.

As part of its "Freedom Means More Affordable Cars" initiative, the US Department of Transportation this week rolled back fuel efficiency rules under the guise of lowering vehicle prices.

The Trump administration's transport agency says US taxpayers will save $138 billion (€122 billion) over the next five years — new vehicles will be $1,300 cheaper on average — since automakers will no longer have to invest in more fuel-efficient fleets.

But this does not account for soaring gas prices as Middle East conflicts choke global supply.

"Any savings on the front end get eaten up and spat out by excess costs of fuel … Fuel economy standards have saved drivers hundreds of billions of dollars," said Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in a social media post.

Under the revised Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules, vehicle fleets only require an average fuel efficiency of about 35 miles per gallon (14.7km per liter) by 2031, down around one-third from 50 miles per gallon.

Implemented by the Biden administration in 2024, the updated efficiency rules aimed to incentivize the production of low emission electric vehicles and hybrids. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the standards would have saved 70 billion gallons (265 billion litres) of fuel over 25 years.

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