Trump’s Rollback of Car Emissions Flawed, Study Shows

A new study by a group of economists shows that the Trump administration built its case for removing vehicle emissions rules on shaky reasoning. The researchers point out mistakes in how fuel savings were counted, how new technology was priced, and how mileage was estimated. Fixing those errors would wipe out the claimed economic upside and instead reveal a huge loss for the country.

The government’s own analysis promised billions in savings for Americans, estimating between $600 billion and $790 billion over the coming decades. The study’s authors, who come from Yale, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania among others, argue that correcting the errors would cut that benefit by $1.5 trillion. In their view, the rollback would actually cost the nation about $670 billion.

The EPA defended its work, saying it used established models and updated assumptions that reflect changes in demand for electric vehicles and fuel prices. The agency added that it would not force an EV mandate on the public. Antonio Bento, one of the study’s authors, warned that weaker standards push consumers toward higher fuel bills and do not protect carmakers either.

The administration now faces lawsuits over the repeal of the endangerment finding that once supported federal greenhouse‑gas rules. The research team says the economic argument for the rollback collapses once the counting errors are fixed. This means the policy not only harms the environment but also hurts consumers’ wallets.