The White House is getting ready to hit the brakes on one of the Biden era’s biggest pushes for cleaner cars. According to multiple reports, the Trump administration plans to roll out a proposal that would relax the fuel economy rules currently set to take effect through the 2031 model year. Those existing standards, finalized last year, would have required automakers to average around 50 mpg across their light duty lineups, a target that effectively nudged the industry toward more hybrids and EVs. The new plan is expected to dial those requirements back in the name of lowering development costs and, in theory, making new vehicles more affordable for shoppers.

Politically, the move fits neatly into President Trump’s larger mission to dismantle what he calls an “EV mandate.” His team has repeatedly argued that ambitious fuel economy and emissions rules have forced automakers to load vehicles up with costly technology, pushing the average new car transaction price past the $50,000 mark and out of reach for many buyers. Industry leaders from Detroit’s big players are reportedly set to stand alongside the president at the White House announcement, a clear signal that traditional automakers are eager for a bit more regulatory breathing room as they juggle ICE, hybrid and EV investments.

The catch is that any cost relief will not show up overnight, and it might not be as simple as loosening the targets and watching MSRPs drift down. Powertrains take years to engineer and certify, and most of the vehicles that will be sold later this decade are already locked in from a hardware standpoint. Automakers also cannot think purely in U.S. terms. Europe, China and other key markets are still marching toward stricter efficiency and CO2 limits, and that global picture will continue to influence what gets developed, which platforms are shared and how aggressively brands really walk back electrification plans.

There is also the matter of what drivers spend at the pump. Federal estimates for the Biden era standards suggested that the tougher rules would save close to 70 billion gallons of gasoline through 2050 and trim roughly $23 billion in fuel costs over that period. If the targets are eased, those savings shrink, and the tradeoff becomes a classic policy tug of war: slightly cheaper vehicles up front versus potentially higher fuel bills and more tailpipe emissions over time. For enthusiasts and everyday buyers alike, the next few months will be about watching the fine print. The administration still has to move through a formal rulemaking process, legal challenges are almost guaranteed, and automakers will be left threading the needle between political swings, global regulations and what their customers actually want to drive.