Cars represent freedom. And freedom should be affordable

For a family trying to replace a worn-out car, $1,300 is real money. That money could cover insurance, pay repair bills, or make a down payment. That’s exactly how much the Trump administration estimates its rollback of federal fuel economy requirements will cut the average cost of a new vehicle.A car is still how most Americans get to work every day. Census data show that 78.4% of workers — about 130 million people — commute by car, truck, or van. Yet the average price actually paid for a new vehicle has climbed nearly 30%, from $38,948 in December 2019 to $50,562 in September 2026. The new rule eases the pressure on automakers to raise average fuel economy across the vehicles they sell, giving them more flexibility to build the kinds of cars that Americans want and can afford.This correction will bring much-needed relief to consumers after the spike in prices for cars under the previous administration. The Department of Transportation estimates that the new rule will save Americans $138 billion over the next five years. The benefit isn’t just the upfront cost of the car or the savings nationwide — it’s keeping the ability to buy the kind of car that actually fits your needs. Electric vehicles are the right choice for some Americans. Hybrids are the right choice for others. And millions of families will continue to prefer gas-powered cars and trucks because of price, range, or even a simple personal preference.Tens of thousands of people depend on getting these policies right not just for the sake of vehicle choice — their jobs could depend on it. A 2024 analysis examined what happens to existing auto manufacturing employment as conventional vehicles lose market share. It estimated nearly 123,000 net auto-manufacturing job losses in a scenario where electric vehicles rise to 67% of new-vehicle sales. Under a complete ban on new gasoline and hybrid vehicles, the modeled loss rose to approximately 191,000 jobs.The stakes between the new policy and the old one are particularly clear in Michigan. A complete-ban scenario estimated roughly 37,000 lost auto-manufacturing jobs in Michigan alone. Those jobs are not only in final assembly plants but across the many companies that manufacture engines, transmissions, fuel systems, and other car components.As hard as it may be to imagine a total ban, America was rapidly heading in that direction.The Biden administration set a 50%-by-2030 target for EV sales, attempted to push 67% of new cars to be fully electric by 2032 before backing off, and approved a plan from California (a de facto standards-setter in this space) to fully ban the sale of new conventional gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Vehicle emissions rules written in Sacramento affect roughly 40% of Americans through a regulatory sleight of hand.But there’s another reason to preserve multiple automotive technologies: America’s electric vehicle supply chain still depends dangerously on China.China produces more than 80% of the world’s EV battery cells, and even larger shares of the key materials inside them: about 85% of cathode material and more than 90% of anode material. Battery factories in the United States and Europe still rely heavily on imported components, most of them coming from China.That concentration should concern anyone who has watched the U.S. spend years trying to unwind dangerous dependencies in strategic industries.Rather than banning any kind of car, America should reform our rules for building to mine and process more critical minerals, manufacture more batteries, and compete aggressively in innovative transportation. But restoring those supply chains takes time. Policies that rapidly shift demand toward a technology whose most important supply chains remain concentrated in China can deepen a vulnerability before American producers are prepared to replace it.TOYOTA SET FOR US PRODUCTION OF TINY ‘KEI’ TRUCKS ADMIRED BY TRUMP, WITH A CATCHWe should let companies compete to build better electric vehicles and to make hybrids more efficient. We should let our automakers improve gas-powered cars and give Americans honest work manufacturing them all. Families can then decide what works best for them.The car of the future should earn its place in the American driveway. It should not need Washington to choose it first.Ted Ellis serves as deputy director for Energy & Environment policy at the America First Policy Institute.