Sean Duffy Seeks to Make Vehicles Less Efficient, More Expensive

As one of his first acts after being confirmed by the Senate as Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy signed a memo to direct a reconsideration and indicate his support for a rollback of national fuel economy standards that make vehicles– including cars, light-duty trucks, and heavy-duty trucks– more fuel efficient.

NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, known as CAFE standards,set requirements for how far vehicles must travel on a gallon of fuel. NHTSA is charged with reducing America's reliance on oil and saving drivers money at the pump. A strong CAFE standard can help the U.S. substantially reduce our dependence on oil over the long term.

Eliminating this program will cost consumers more money at the pump. Consumer Reports’ Q4 2024 survey showed two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) agree that the U.S. government should continue to increase fuel economy standards.

In response, Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign, released the following statement:

“These common-sense, popular fuel economy standards save drivers money at the pump and reduce dangerous pollution from vehicles. Drivers spend excessive amounts of money to fuel their cars, and it’s often a large part of household expenses. Wasting no time at all as the new Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy is selling American families out to Big Oil, burdening us with higher fuel prices and more polluting gas-guzzlers that harm our health.”