EDITORIAL: “We believe that people should be able to make a choice”

Radical greens and other cheerleaders for central planning are mewling about the Trump administration’s new fuel economy standards for automakers. Yet the reforms are a necessary response to Biden-era efforts to undermine the marketplace by limiting options for American consumers.

On Monday, the White House relaxed stringent fuel economy regulations for auto manufacturers imposed by President Joe Biden in a failed attempt to force car buyers to purchase electric vehicles. The Biden rules demanded that auto company fleets average more than 50 mpg by 2031. This was a back-door effort to coerce Detroit to phase out the internal combustion engine, as the only realistic way car makers could meet the requirement was to massively expand their EV or hybrid inventories.

The effort was an utter flop. While some American buyers — particularly the well-off — were lured into purchasing EVs thanks to federal and state handouts, most drivers resisted such products out of fears regarding long charging times and limited battery range. Now that the federal tax break for EV purchases has expired, sales are down about 25 percent from 2025. According to Autoweek, legacy car manufacturers lost $50 billion on EV investments after discovering that the market was “nowhere near the total takeover they thought it would be.”

The new rules issued by the White House simply reflect reality. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates the regulations will lead to fleet-wide averages of a more realistic 35 mpg, having minimal environmental impact while allowing the industry to focus on turning out products with more consumer appeal. It’s worth noting that the 35 mpg threshold is still significantly tougher than the 27.5 mpg requirement in place in 2010.

“The standards finalized under the previous administration effectively required a switchover to electric vehicles that was out of step with market realities and customer demand,” John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry trade group, said in a statement. The “final rule is an appropriate course correction.”

There will indeed come a day when EV technology advances to the point of assuaging the fears of many buyers. But elevating the whims of progressive activists and government bureaucrats above the wisdom of the marketplace has proven a costly mistake and undermined consumer choice.

“This is a victory of common sense and affordability,” Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said last year when President Donald Trump first announced his intentions. “We believe that people should be able to make a choice.”

Amen.