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Trump Administration Reinterprets Truck Engine Rules, Gives Manufacturers Design Flexibility

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has adopted a new interpretation of federal law. It limits the agency's authority to regulating fuel efficiency of complete medium- and heavy-duty vehicles rather than individual components like engines and transmissions.

The shift reshapes how Class 8 trucks meet federal efficiency standards. Manufacturers will now have greater discretion in determining compliance methods, including through improvements to powertrains, aerodynamics, cab designs or tires.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the change aligns the program with the administration's interpretation of federal law and is intended to lower commercial truck prices. The agency did not provide cost reduction estimates.

The move targets regulations developed under the Obama administration in 2016 as part of Phase 2 greenhouse gas and fuel-efficiency standards. The federal efficiency program itself originated from the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act signed by President George W. Bush.