WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump last week announced a proposal to change vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks.

The plan, if finalized next year, would reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year.

The rules will increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can afford, officials said.

The administration projects that the new standards would set the industry fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles at approximately 34.5 miles per gallon in the 2031 model year.

The move is the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles. Burning gasoline for vehicles is a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

Trump announced the plan at a White House event that included top executives from the three largest American automakers, who have praised the planned changes. The auto industry has complained that the Biden-era rules were difficult to meet.

Since taking office in January, Trump has relaxed auto tailpipe emissions rules, repealed fines for automakers that do not meet federal mileage standards and terminated consumer credits of up to $7,500 for EV purchases.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement that the planned rollback was “a win for customers and common sense.”

“As America’s largest auto producer, we appreciate President Trump’s leadership in aligning fuel economy standards with market realities. We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy efficiency while still giving customers choice and affordability,” Farley said.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker appreciates the administration’s actions to “realign” the standards “with real world market conditions.”

Environmentalists decried the decision.

“In one stroke Trump is worsening three of our nation’s most vexing problems: the thirst for oil, high gas pump costs and global warming,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Gutting the (gas-mileage) program will make cars burn more gas and American families burn more cash,’’ said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program.

“This rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for years to come and threatening the health of millions of Americans, particularly children and the elderly,” she said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged his agency to reverse existing fuel economy requirements, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, soon after taking office.

In June, he said that standards set under Biden were illegal because they included use of electric vehicles in their calculation. After the June rule revision, the traffic agency was empowered to update the requirements.