The Trump administration says it just put real money back in drivers’ pockets.
On Thursday, the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency touted a major rollback: repealing the Obama-era “endangerment finding.”
And the pitch is simple. Cheaper cars. Less red tape. More choice.
The move announced by President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin targets the sweeping Obama-era policy that let the EPA measure and constrain greenhouse gas emissions — including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other gases — from vehicles and engines of model years 2012 and beyond.
The administration says the repeal will lower car costs by an average of $2,400 per vehicle.
Regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the 2009 policy added “incalculably large” costs to carmakers and consumers, according to one expert, who suggested the savings could be even larger than what the Trump Administration expects.
“The EPA has estimated benefits to the economy from rescinding the endangerment finding for vehicles to be as much as $4.7 trillion for the period 2027-2055. This is a gross underestimate,” Steve Milloy, a former Trump EPA transition adviser and senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, told The New York Post.
“Because of this move, gas prices will remain low and car prices will decline,” the biostatistician and environmental lawyer added. “Lower gas prices and lower vehicle prices will ripple through the economy for decades to come.”
Milloy argued consumers and businesses will also benefit by redirecting money saved on vehicle costs.
“All these benefits are impossible to calculate. But there’s one thing for sure: The costs of regulating greenhouse gas emissions is incalculably large while providing absolutely no environmental benefit,” he said.
The EPA notes that both the “avoided costs of purchasing equipment related to [electric vehicles],” which carmakers increasingly began manufacturing in the wake of the 2009 policy, and reduced “regulatory compliance costs“ will also contribute to lower prices.
At the White House, Zeldin proclaimed that “manufacturers will no longer be burdened by measuring, compiling or reporting greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles and engines.”
Even Detroit is cheering.
Ford Motor Company celebrated the decision to scrap Obama’s emission standards.
“We appreciate the work of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin to address the imbalance between current emissions standards and customer choice,” a spokesperson told The Post.
“Ford has consistently advocated for a single, stable national standard that aligns with customer choice, the market, societal benefit, and American job growth.”
More over at The New York Post:
White House says it will save Americans $2,400 on car purchases — this is whyhttps://t.co/Ev4Sm7vgGx
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 13, 2026
Thank you for visiting