The facts
Twenty-six states, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's rollback of fuel economy standards for petrol-powered vehicles. The lawsuit challenges the Department of Transportation's decision to lower the fleet average fuel economy standard to 34.9 miles per gallon by model year 2031. This contrasts with the 50.4 miles per gallon standard set under the Biden administration. Attorney General Bonta stated that the Trump administration improperly changed how federal regulators calculate these standards by excluding existing electric vehicles from the baseline fleet performance. He argued this approach is flawed and distorts the justification for weaker standards for petrol vehicles, contravening Congress's mandate to set standards at their "maximum feasible" level. The Department of Transportation claims the change could save American taxpayers $138 billion over five years. The rollback was welcomed by Stellantis North America, which called the new targets more achievable and aligned with market realities. The litigation was filed concurrently with a separate lawsuit by progressive and climate groups.
Our take
What a bunch of absolute cunts. The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation just gave the fossil fuel industry the sloppiest, most transparently corrupt blowjob in regulatory history, rolling back fuel efficiency standards to a pathetic 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031. That’s not a standard; that’s a participation trophy for a car industry that would rather choke on its own exhaust than innovate. And the justification? These dickheads simply decided to pretend electric vehicles don’t exist when calculating the baseline. It’s like grading a class on a curve after erasing all the A students from the roster so the failing dipshits can feel better about themselves. The sheer, brazen bullshit of it is almost impressive. Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading the charge from California, pointing out the obvious: Congress told these pricks to set standards at the “maximum feasible” level, not the maximum convenient for the oily fucks writing our checks level. But the DOT, in its infinite wisdom as a mouthpiece for grifters, claims this sham will save taxpayers a cool $138 billion. Oh, fantastic! We can use that money to buy more fucking sandbags for the coastal cities your policy is actively drowning. Of course Stellantis North America - a company name that sounds like a rejected Bond villain - is thrilled, calling these gutted targets “more achievable.” No shit, you assholes. It’s more achievable to just keep building the same planet-killing shitboxes you’ve been peddling for decades while pretending climate change is a Chinese hoax. This lawsuit is the bare minimum of adult supervision trying to stop a toddler from setting the house on fire for the thrill of watching the flames. The Trump admin’s entire energy policy is a monument to cowardice and greed, a middle finger to the future so vigorously extended it’s practically a rectal exam for every generation to come. They’re not just rolling back progress; they’re actively pissing on the corpse of it and billing us for the cleaning fee.
