President Trump rescinds Biden-era fuel economy standards
President Donald Trump announced he was rescinding Biden-era fuel efficiency standards, saying the changes would save Americans money.
- The Trump administration is currently moving to repeal federal auto emissions regulations that require high average fuel economy for all automakers’ vehicles.
- Tesla leads all automakers in average fuel economy, largely due to the credits it receives for sales of all-electric vehicles.
- Supporters of rolling back the regulations say it will make cars cheaper, while environmentalists warn of negative impacts on air quality and the climate.
Tesla leads among automakers in average fuel economy as the Trump administration takes steps to eliminate most federal auto emissions regulations.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin suggested in a Feb. 10 post to
The discovery, known as the Endangerment Discovery, provided the legal basis for some of the federal government’s most ambitious efforts to reduce global-warming vehicle emissions, including rules requiring automakers to average more than 50 miles per gallon for every vehicle in their fleet.
Trump administration officials have argued that rolling back tough fuel economy regulations would allow automakers to make cheaper cars. Environmentalists counter that doing so would make cars less efficient and worsen America’s air quality.
“As extreme weather conditions continue to threaten us all and costs continue to rise, communities will suffer, and we will leave future generations with a world that is increasingly less livable and endangers life as we know it,” Sierra Club Executive Director Lauren Blackford said in a statement.
Tesla is by far the leader in fuel economy among U.S. automakers. That’s because Tesla earns extra credits every time it sells an electric car, which it can then sell to other automakers that need to improve fuel efficiency to comply with existing federal regulations. Tesla reported in an investor presentation that it received $401 million in regulatory financing in the fourth quarter of 2025.
With all of this in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team researched the top 10 most fuel-efficient car brands, according to the latest publicly available data from the EPA.
1. Tesla
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 120.6mpg
Rate of change from 2018:6.8%
best selling car in usa: Tesla Model Y
2. Become
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 30.4mpg
Rate of change from 2018:6.3%
best selling car: Kia Sportage
3. Nissan
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 28.9mpg
Rate of change from 2018:6.6%
best selling car in usa: Nissan Rogue
4. Subaru
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 28.7mpg
Rate of change from 2018:1%
best selling car in usa: Subaru Crosstrek
5.Honda
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 30mpg
Rate of change from 2018:1%
best selling car in usa:Honda CR-V
6.BMW
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 27.6mpg
Rate of change from 2018:6%
best selling car in usa:BMW X5
7.Mazda
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 28.7mpg
Rate of change from 2018:3.9%
best selling car in usa:Mazda CX-5
8. Toyota
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 27.5mpg
Rate of change from 2018:7.8%
best selling car in usa: Toyota RAV4
9. Mercedes-Benz
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 27.5mpg
Rate of change from 2018:17%
best selling car in usa: Mercedes-Benz GLC Class
10. Volkswagen
Average fuel consumption in 2023: 27mpg
Rate of change from 2018:9.7%
best selling car in usa: Volkswagen Tiguan
