Democratic lawmakers urge Trump to drop vehicle fuel economy rollback proposal

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A group of 80 Democratic lawmakers in ​Congress on Wednesday urged ‌the Trump administration to abandon a proposal ‌to slash fuel economy standards that former President Joe Biden had finalized in 2024.

The National Highway Traffic Safety ⁠Administration in December ‌proposed significantly reducing the fuel economy requirements from model ‍years 2022 to 2031, requiring 34.5 miles per gallon on average by 2031, ​down from 50.4 miles per ‌gallon (21.4 km per liter).

The lawmakers led by Representative Doris Matsui and Senator Ed Markey said in a letter seen by Reuters the ⁠proposal will lead to ​higher fuel consumption, ​increase air pollution and "allow auto manufacturers to continue to prioritize ‍larger vehicles ⁠that produce higher profit margins - a shift that is already ⁠driving up the cost of cars."

(Reporting by ‌David Shepardson in Washington; Editing ‌by Andrew Heavens)