Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., discusses Republican efforts to undo Biden-era electric vehicle mandates on ‘Kudlow.’
Trump administration officials this week touted efforts to lower auto prices through a rollback and de-emphasis on regulations electric vehicles during a tour of the Midwest’s auto industry.
‘In this government we are turning back what I believe is illegal and unattainable standard for fuel consumptionU.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters Friday at a Jeep factory in Ohio, The Detroit News reported.
Duffy was referring to the ambitious vehicle emissions regulations introduced during the Biden administration.
Duffy added, “Thirty-five miles per gallon for this new fuel economy standard … which, I think, will lower prices and allow auto companies to offer products that Americans want to buy.”
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS NEW INITIATIVE TO BACK BACK FEDERAL REGULATIONS
Ford Motor Bronco SUVs are on display this week during media day at the Detroit Auto Show in Detroit. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook/Reuters)
Duffy, along with Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, toured the annual Detroit Auto Show on Saturday to conclude their two-day Midwestern swing.
Zeldin said the government “should not force, demand and mandate that the market move in a different direction than what the American consumer demands,” months after President Donald Trump signed legislation last year that eliminated a $7,500 EV tax credit and has rescinded California’s EV rules.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he doesn’t want the government to dictate what kind of cars are built in the US. (Reuters/Brian Snyder/Reuters)
The legislation too canceled penalties introduced by the Biden administration for automakers that don’t meet fuel efficiency standards.
“I don’t want the government dictating what kind of cars we build,” Duffy said Friday. ‘I want the freedom of innovation, and I want consumer demands to drive the kind of cars that are produced.
Duffy added: “This isn’t a war on electric cars at all. There are a lot of people who love them, and think they’re great and they work for them, and they should be able to buy them.
A Chevrolet Bolt EV electric vehicle is on display at a 2016 Detroit auto show. (Reuters/Mark Blinch/Reuters)
US car sales rose 2.4% despite steep tariffs on imported vehicles, while the average price of new cars reached a record $50,326.
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This came as American consumers were buying more expensive SUVs and trucks, while sellers offered less budget-friendly options, according to research firm Cox Automotive.
“Whatever effects these tariffs have on different parts of the supply chain, they don’t actually reach the consumer,” Greer said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
