President Donald Trump has announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry. If the plan announced Wednesday is finalized next year, it would ease pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks. The proposal would significantly reduce fuel economy requirements through the 2031 model year. Those requirements set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline. It's the Trump administration's latest move to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles. Environmentalists said the rule change would increase pollution and raise prices for consumers by allowing less fuel-efficient cars.

One big loser in President Donald Trump's escalating trade war is likely to be the U.S. electric vehicle industry. Electric cars are already more expensive to make in the U.S. and more expensive for car buyers than vehicles that run on gasoline. As tariffs drive up all sorts of supply chain and production costs for automakers, they will have to prioritize making the cars that are most profitable. Those won't be electric. Automakers were already pulling back on ambitious electrification plans amid shrinking federal support and are strapped for cash on what is the less lucrative side of their businesses.