Trump says he has approved weaker fuel-economy standards for new cars. Will California sue the administration over them by Oct 16?
60% of users predicted YES — the community got this one right. 10 predictions cast.
California led a coalition of 26 states in filing suit on October 2, 2026, challenging the Trump administration's rollback of federal fuel-economy standards, two weeks ahead of the question's October 16 deadline. California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office argued the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's final rule, which cut the fleet-average fuel economy target to 34.9 miles per gallon by model year 2031, violates the federal requirement that standards be set at the "maximum feasible" level.
The suit contends NHTSA changed its calculation baseline by excluding electric vehicles already on U.S. roads, making it easier to justify weaker standards for gasoline-powered vehicles than would otherwise be required. The prior, Biden-era standards had targeted roughly 50.4 miles per gallon by the same model year. Bonta's office said the stricter standards had lowered fuel costs for consumers and reduced overall gasoline demand, which in turn eased prices at the pump.
The rollback followed President Trump's approval of weaker fuel-economy standards for new cars as part of a broader deregulatory push on vehicle emissions rules.
The community correctly anticipated legal action, with 60% predicting a lawsuit would be filed by the deadline; California and its allies moved well before the window closed.