Will Trump Emissions Rule Change Make New Vehicles Affordable Again?

The endangerment rule inspired Former President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, which sent automakers scrambling to create expensive vehicles like the F-150 Lightning, a $60,000 now-stalled product that few people wanted. 

The action also eliminates all off-cycle credits, including the start-stop feature. In 2013, the average transaction price of a new vehicle was about $33,000, according to Cox Automotive.

The action should allow automakers to create more affordable vehicles, including trucks. Those regulations gave lawmakers, not consumers, the power to dictate what features vehicles have. 

Consumers must either place a substantial down payment on a new or used vehicle or finance it. The average monthly car payment in 2025 hit $750. Granted, newer vehicles have much better safety features than vehicles made in the early 2000s, such as blind spot sensors, collision warning systems, and automatic braking, but many people don’t want those. Many people can only spend a few thousand dollars on a vehicle that can get them from point A to point B. 

Even used cars are expensive, with an average transaction price of $26,000, in 2026, according to Kelley Blue Book. 

Ford CEO Jim Farley said that “the customer has spoken” when it comes to electric vehicles, as consumers mostly rejected them and automakers recently ate billions of dollars in losses.

Big Three automaker Stellantis lost $26 billion, Ford Motor Company lost $11 billion and will carry losses through 2029, while General Motors claimed $7 billion in EV losses. 

While these companies are recovering from their electric vehicle nightmares, they should prioritize creating basic models that young adults or other people strapped for cash can buy without absorbing crushing debt.

Some of the most popular vehicles in the Midwest are the Ford F-series, the Toyota Rav4, the Honda CRV, and the Chevy Silverado. Trump’s administration cutting emissions regulations and other red tape should be another step toward more affordable cars and trucks.

The endangerment rule inspired Former President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, which sent automakers scrambling to create expensive vehicles like the F-150 Lightning, a $60,000 now-stalled product that few people wanted. 

The action also eliminates all off-cycle credits, including the start-stop feature. In 2013, the average transaction price of a new vehicle was about $33,000, according to Cox Automotive.

The action should allow automakers to create more affordable vehicles, including trucks. Those regulations gave lawmakers, not consumers, the power to dictate what features vehicles have. 

Consumers must either place a substantial down payment on a new or used vehicle or finance it. The average monthly car payment in 2025 hit $750. Granted, newer vehicles have much better safety features than vehicles made in the early 2000s, such as blind spot sensors, collision warning systems, and automatic braking, but many people don’t want those. Many people can only spend a few thousand dollars on a vehicle that can get them from point A to point B. 

Even used cars are expensive, with an average transaction price of $26,000, in 2026, according to Kelley Blue Book. 

Ford CEO Jim Farley said that “the customer has spoken” when it comes to electric vehicles, as consumers mostly rejected them and automakers recently ate billions of dollars in losses.

Big Three automaker Stellantis lost $26 billion, Ford Motor Company lost $11 billion and will carry losses through 2029, while General Motors claimed $7 billion in EV losses. 

While these companies are recovering from their electric vehicle nightmares, they should prioritize creating basic models that young adults or other people strapped for cash can buy without absorbing crushing debt.

Some of the most popular vehicles in the Midwest are the Ford F-series, the Toyota Rav4, the Honda CRV, and the Chevy Silverado. Trump’s administration cutting emissions regulations and other red tape should be another step toward more affordable cars and trucks.