When US President Donald Trump recently announced the rollback of vehicle fuel efficiency regulations, he called it the end of the "green new scam." He was referring to efforts to electrify transportation in the US by the outgoing Biden administration, which gave incentives for automakers to phase-out internal combustion engine cars in favor of low emission, climate-friendly electric vehicles (EVs). Since coming to power in January, the Trump administration has already repealed a range of incentives aimed at getting fossil-fuel powered cars off the road. These include revoking a Biden executive order stipulating that 50% of cars sold in the US by 2030 should be electric; freezing billions in funding for charging infrastructure, and eliminating a $7,500 (€6,444) tax credit on EV purchases. Trump has concurrently defunded green energy programs in favor of oil and gas. Arguing that the "absurd tailpipe emissions standards" were "killing" the automobile industry, Trump confirmed to a retinue of car company executives gathered in the Oval Office that fuel efficiency regulations also made cars too expensive. Industry experts claim the EV incentives were spurring greater investment in electric cars and charging infrastructure, as well as creating new jobs. But Trump has now promised to forgo an electrified future in favor of 19th century technology. As a result of the rollbacks, US vehicles will only require a fuel economy of around 35 miles (56 kilometers), as opposed to 50 miles per gallon under Biden's updated fuel economy standards for 2022-2031 model passenger cars and light trucks. Both the climate and consumers will lose out due to the roll backs, say critics. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat whose state is a renewable energy and EV powerhouse, said Trump was "handing his Big Oil donors exactly what they want: weaker protections for consumers and bigger profits for polluters." Confirming US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates, Newsom said that national fuel consumption would have been reduced by 70 billion gallons (265 billion litres) a year under the outgoing efficiency standards. Steven Higashide, Director of the Clean Transportation Program at the US nonprofit advocacy group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, says weakened fuel economy rules will ultimately raise the price of gas. "US vehicle pollution and reliance on oil have dropped and drivers can save money by choosing more efficient vehicles," he said in a statement. Fifty years of increasing fuel efficiency standards have helped shield drivers from oil market shocks, given them cleaner air, and ultimately saved them over $5 trillion (€4.26 trillion), said Higashide.