Senior officials from the Trump administration used a high-profile visit to the Detroit Auto Show to reportedly argue that rolling back federal vehicle emissions rules will ease the financial burden on American car buyers, as affordability remains a top concern for consumers nationwide.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer toured the annual event Saturday, capping a two-day swing through the Midwest. Their trip included stops Friday at a Ford truck factory and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Ohio, underscoring the administration’s focus on domestic auto manufacturing and consumer costs.
The officials highlighted the administration’s aggressive rollback of electric vehicle policies put in place under former President Joe Biden. Duffy said those rules had contributed to higher prices and limited consumer choice, arguing that removing them would help automakers deliver vehicles Americans actually want to buy. He stressed that the administration’s approach is not aimed at eliminating EVs, but at ending government policies that promote electric vehicles while penalizing traditional combustion engines.
President Donald Trump has faced economic headwinds a year into his term and ahead of November’s midterm elections, after campaigning on promises to bring down prices for everyday Americans. The pressure is especially evident in the auto market, where average new vehicle transaction prices climbed to a record $50,326 in December, according to Cox Automotive. The spike came as consumers continued to favor higher-priced trucks and SUVs and automakers scaled back the number of entry-level models available.
Last year, Trump signed legislation eliminating a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles, rescinding California’s EV mandates, and canceling penalties for automakers that failed to meet fuel efficiency targets. Zeldin said the administration believes the government should not force the market in a direction that runs counter to what consumers are demanding.
The auto industry is also navigating steep tariffs imposed by Trump on imported vehicles and parts. Even so, new vehicle sales in the United States rose 2.4% in 2025, reaching 16.2 million units, despite the EV policy changes and the new trade barriers.
Democrats have criticized the administration’s approach, arguing that tariffs and the elimination of EV incentives will ultimately harm consumers. Greer pushed back on that claim, saying car prices are trending downward and that any effects tariffs may have on the supply chain are not being passed on to buyers.
Environmental activists also weighed in. Kathy Harris of the Natural Resources Defense Council said the administration’s policies would benefit the oil industry while leaving cash-strapped Americans paying more to fuel their vehicles.
In December, the Department of Transportation proposed rolling back Biden-era fuel efficiency standards that had encouraged automakers to increase EV production to stay in compliance. The EPA is expected to finalize a rule in the coming weeks that would eliminate vehicle tailpipe emissions requirements altogether.
According to the Transportation Department, the proposed changes would reduce average up-front vehicle costs by about $930, but would also increase fuel consumption by as much as 100 billion gallons through 2050, potentially costing Americans up to $185 billion more in fuel over time.
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