New Transportation Secretary Moves to Put Americans Back in the Driver’s Seat

Mark Green
Posted February 13, 2025

Good news for American drivers: New U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn’t waste any time going after a key piece of the de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandate imposed by the previous administration. 

Secretary Duffy’s first official act was to direct the administrator of the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) to propose resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model year 2027-2032 passenger cars and light-duty trucks, which NHTSA issued last summer.  

Along with EPA’s tailpipe emissions rule, CAFE standards significantly tilted things toward EVs and away from gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles – basically eliminating vehicle choice. 

That didn’t play well with voters last fall in many states including Michigan, the heart of U.S. vehicle manufacturing. More broadly, voters in presidential battleground states said they did not want government dictating which new vehicles they could buy. 

Secretary Duffy wrote that the Biden administration used regulatory powers, including the setting of CAFE standards, to achieve the policy goal of “forcing rapid electrification of the Nation’s motor vehicle fleets.” The Biden administration effectively set fuel economy standards at such “aggressive” levels that automakers could not meet them without rapidly shifting production from internal-combustion-engine vehicles to EVs, he added.  

“Under President Trump,” the secretary wrote, “the policy priorities of the Executive Branch have changed.” 

The new policy priority from Secretary Duffy is protecting consumer choice, with which we certainly agree (see API’s Five-Point Policy Roadmap). From the roadmap:  

“When it comes to energy, consumers should have more choice, not less. … [T]he government should not be telling Americans which cars to drive. American consumers … should not shoulder the burden of the extreme costs associated with a forced shift to electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are an option for some, but don’t work for many Americans …” 

 

Resetting the existing CAFE standards advances a cherished American freedom – to choose the new car or truck that fits their budgets and lifestyles. It will allow the marketplace, not Washington, to pick winners and losers in terms of vehicle technologies.  

API President and CEO Mike Sommers, in last month’s State of American Energy remarks: 

 “In recent years, some in Washington have pushed to give a market advantage to electric vehicles. Instead, we want a future where Americans are free to choose the vehicles that work best for them – not for government. We believe that we can achieve shared objectives in a way that respects freedom, affordability and practicality. Mandates shouldn’t limit options or strain budgets. Let’s ensure consumers can choose the transportation that works for them. It’s about ensuring that Americans are free to choose what works, while supporting innovation and energy security.” 

Next: To complete the policy reversal in favor of consumers, Washington should repeal EPA’s tailpipe rules. Like CAFE, the prior administration’s rules tipped the scales toward EVs by forcing automakers to shift production in that direction and away from gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, severely restricting consumer choice. President Trump’s Day 1 executive order strongly indicates the administration has its eye on EPA’s rule as well. 

Final note: Secretary Duffy’s first steps – and those of new U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who revoked the previous administration’s withdrawal of 625 million offshore acres from energy development, and new EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who committed the agency to environmental protection and boosting the economy – will help prioritize working to ensure that Americans everywhere can access reliable, affordable energy and commonsense environmental regulation.