Don’t Let Weakened Fuel Economy Standards Push Us Backward on Clean Air and Climate
In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a major proposal to roll back federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for cars and light trucks through model year 2031. If finalized, the rule would significantly reduce the fuel efficiency requirements for the average new vehicle—from targets of around 50 miles per gallon under Biden-era rules to about 34.5 mpg by 2031. This is one of the most consequential changes to national fuel economy policy in decades and has broad implications for air quality and climate.
What Are CAFE Standards and Why Do They Matter?
CAFE standards are federal regulations that require automakers to achieve a specified average fuel economy across the vehicles they sell in the U.S. Higher fuel economy means less gasoline burned per mile, which translates to lower emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Historically, these standards have helped reduce petroleum consumption, decrease harmful tailpipe emissions, and limit carbon dioxide—the main driver of human-induced climate change.
Air Quality Impacts
Rolling back CAFE standards will mean that new cars and trucks on the road will, on average, burn more fuel per mile than they would under stronger standards. That matters for air quality in two major ways:
More tailpipe pollution: Less efficient vehicles emit higher levels of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are precursors to ground-level ozone (smog). Higher ozone levels harm respiratory health, worsen asthma, and degrade public health, especially for children, seniors, and people with pre-existing conditions.
Increased overall emissions: Even as other sectors reduce emissions, transportation remains the largest source of CO₂ and a leading source of smog-forming pollutants. Weakening fuel economy targets undercuts decades of progress in cleaning up vehicle emissions that contribute to unhealthy air in Utah urban and rural areas alike.
Climate Impacts:
Fuel economy standards are one of the most effective tools the federal government has used to cut carbon pollution from the transportation sector. Rolling back standards will result in more gasoline consumption, increasing carbon dioxide emissions that drive climate change—worsening heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather events that Utah communities already face.
Industry and Regulatory Context
Supporters of the rollback, including some automakers and DOT leadership, frame the proposal as a way to reduce new vehicle costs and offer more consumer choice. Experts note that weakening standards could ultimately increase fuel costs for drivers, because less efficient vehicles cost more to operate over time due to higher gasoline use. Moreover, environmental and health organizations warn that this rollback will waste resources, cost families money, and increase pollution that harms public health.
What You Can Do — Submit a Comment Before Jan. 20, 2026
The comment period for this CAFE proposal is open until January 20, 2026. This is your chance to tell federal agencies—DOT and NHTSA—that Utahns want stronger standards that protect clean air and climate.
How to Submit Comments
Read the proposal and submit comments HERE
Write Your Comment
You don’t need legal language, just a clear voice from a real neighbor.
Tips for Effective Comments:
Be personal: Say how air quality affects you, your family, or your community.
Be specific: Mention that fuel economy standards reduce smog and protect air quality—a key issue in Utah’s urban areas and mountain valleys.
Connect to health and climate: Note that less efficient vehicles mean more harmful pollution (like NOₓ and VOCs) and more carbon dioxide warming the planet.
Stick to your experience: Simple examples are powerful.
Talking Points You Can Use
“Weaker fuel economy standards will allow more pollution from tailpipes, harming air quality that Utah families rely on.”
“Stronger standards help cut ozone-forming emissions and protect children and seniors with respiratory conditions.”
“Rolling back efficiency targets increases gasoline use and carbon pollution, worsening climate change impacts that we already feel in our state.”
“Please adopt the stronger standards originally proposed that encourage cleaner vehicles and healthier communities.”
Your voice matters.
Utah has unique air quality challenges and every gallon of gasoline saved through stronger fuel economy standards means less haze and smog, healthier lungs, and a safer climate future for our state.
Submit a comment today and make sure policymakers hear from you before January 20, 2026.
