The new US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was approved for the role on Tuesday (January 28) by a Senate vote of 77-22, got to work straightaway, ordering a rewrite of US vehicle fuel-economy requirements and rescinding a ruling requiring declining CO2 targets on federal highways, a ruling which it had been argued was not within the scope of the USDOT to issue in the first place.
On taking office he ordered an immediate review of fuel-economy standards for vehicles from the 2022 model year onward. The Biden administration’s rules had required automakers to reach an average of 50.4 miles per gallon across their new-car fleets by the 2031 model year.
Additionally, Duffy signed what the department called a “Woke Rescission” Memorandum, directing officials to eliminate Biden-era programs related to climate change, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, racial equity, and environmental justice. He also approved a proposal to rescind a rule requiring state transportation departments to measure carbon dioxide emissions on federally supported highways.
“Today’s actions mark an important step in restoring commonsense governance and merit-based policies at USDOT,” Duffy said. “The American people deserve an efficient, safe, and pro-growth transportation system based on sound decision-making, not political ideologies.”
The news follows President Trump’s actions since retaking the White House in eliminating subsidies and policies aimed at boosting electric vehicles, including halting spending on EV charging infrastructure, and revoking a 2021 executive order that sought to ensure half of all new vehicles sold in the United States by 2030 were electric.
Duffy had previously enjoyed unanimous bipartisan support for his nomination as Transportation Secretary, impressing law makers with his commitment to road safety, however some dissenters voted against him at the confirmation in the wake of President Trump’s recent attempts to halt all federal grants and loans.
Duffy, who takes over the role from Pete Buttigieg, is a former Wisconsin congressman and Fox News contributor, signed multiple directives aimed at implementing President Donald Trump’s transportation and energy agenda.
The policy shifts have already impacted automaker strategies. Stellantis NV postponed its first all-electric Ram pickup and pulled back from plans to lay off workers at a Jeep plant in Ohio. Volkswagen announced it would no longer bring its ID.7 electric sedan to the US market.
Analysts at BloombergNEF have lowered their forecasts for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales through the decade, now expecting plug-in models to represent one-third of total US sales by 2030, down from their previous projection of 48%
During his confirmation hearing, Duffy also promised to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers, and create federal rules for self-driving cars. He specifically addressed concerns about Tesla investigations, promising to let the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continue its probes despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s role as a key adviser to President Trump.
The Environmental Protection Agency is also expected to review or rewrite limits on vehicle tailpipe pollution that would have required manufacturers to boost electric vehicle sales. The agency has already indicated it will reassess a 2022 decision that authorized California to set its own emissions limits.
In his swearing-in ceremony The Transportation Secretary promised to continue the USDOT’s focus on innovation: “I think we’re at an amazing time because when you think of the Department of Transportation, you don’t think of innovation. And we are in one of the most innovative spaces, I think, in government,” said Duffy. “Whether it’s with drones or autonomous vehicles or eVTOLs or ‘Ubers in the air’ – another term for them. We are in a race to beat the rest of the world and to make sure we have rules in place that are going to make America the best home for this innovation is critical. We are going to work on that at the Department of Transportation, which is 47,000 employees strong. I guess that’s not going to grow at all with the new executive order! But it’s a great team, and I look forward to working with them.”
However, Duffy’s long term vision was overtaken by events today (Thursday January 30). Before Duffy’s second full day in office had even begun he received the harrowing news of the plane and helicopter crash in Washington DC. Losing no time, he went to talk to reporters at the scene and pledge USDOT support in the wake of the disaster, as can be viewed in the clip below.
