Trump Makes Big Move To Bring Small (But Awesome) Trucks Back To America

President Donald Trump eliminated a Biden-era fuel regulation for vehicles on Wednesday, paving the way for small, light pickup trucks to return to America.

“We’re officially terminating Joe Biden’s ridiculously burdensome, horrible, actually, CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] standards that impose expensive restrictions and all sorts of problems — gave all sorts of problems to automakers,” Trump said at the White House. “And we’re not only talking about here, we’re talking about outside of our country.” (Subscribe to MR. RIGHT, a free weekly newsletter about modern masculinity)

CAFE is also a big reason why vehicle manufacturers no longer produce smaller pickup trucks.  Established in 1975, the CAFE statute gave the Department of Transportation the power to set average fuel economy standards for vehicle fleets. The statute also gave the government power to impose financial penalties on manufacturers of passenger cars and light trucks that fall short of the specified fuel economy standards.

In 2024, using the CAFE statute, the Biden administration implemented a regulation that required a yearly 2% boost in vehicle fuel efficiency for models produced from 2027 to 2031. The aim was to elevate the average fuel economy to approximately 50.4 miles per gallon with a 20% annual increase.

Now that the fuel standards are loosened, manufacturers may have the chance to bring back trucks like these to America, the Toyota Hilux. Small, cheap, no frills at all. It looks like a Tacoma, but it’s more stripped down. Obviously, this truck would be perfect for workmen or Americans in the trades, not so much for a family.

Or, smaller Ford Rangers. In the 1990s, Ford Rangers were much smaller. Now, they’ve gotten larger, and are qualified as “mid-sized.” Part of the reason they’ve gotten bigger are the CAFE fuel standards set for the light trucks.

With those standards gone, Ford might be incentivized to introduce a new fleet of a trucks, similar to the Toyota Hilux.