California leads lawsuit challenging Trump’s rollback of fuel economy rules – Los Angeles Times

California leads lawsuit challenging Trump’s rollback of fuel economy rules  Los Angeles Times

California is leading a coalition of states and local governments in suing the Trump administration over its rollback of federal vehicle mileage standards, alleging the new rules illegally weaken fuel-economy requirements for cars and light trucks. The lawsuit, filed Friday by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and a group of 26 states, counties and cities, is one of at least three legal challenges this week to new rules from the U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The change lowers the fuel-economy requirement for 2031 model-year vehicles to 34.9 miles per gallon, when it would have been 50.4 miles per gallon under rules from the Biden administration.

Federal officials said the change will boost the domestic auto industry and lower consumer costs. It comes as fuel prices remain elevated amid Trump's war with Iran, which has disrupted the global oil supply since February. In California, gasoline averaged $6.40 a gallon on Friday, compared with $4.65 a gallon one year ago, according to AAA. In the lawsuit, California and its allies argue the NHTSA failed to meet a Congressional mandate to set corporate average fuel economy standards, or CAFE standards, at the "maximum feasible" level — a reflection of available technology, economic practicability, the effect of other motor vehicle standards and the need to conserve energy. Instead, the