Administrator Zeldin Visits America’s Auto Industry with Secretary Duffy and Ambassador Greer on Freedom Means Affordable Cars Tour
Detroit, Michigan — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, alongside U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer, visited America’s auto industry in Ohio and Michigan on the Freedom Means Affordable Cars Tour. The trio highlighted the positive impacts of the Trump Administration lowering vehicle prices for American families, reviving American auto manufacturing, and increasing consumer choice. Under Administrator Zeldin’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, EPA is diligently working to deliver on President Trump’s campaign promises to bring back auto jobs, support Americans’ choice in vehicles, and fix burdensome Obama-and Biden-era regulations.
“The Trump Administration inherited a regulatory mess from radical Democrat policies that raised prices, shipped auto jobs overseas, and destroyed consumer choice. Under pillar five of my Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, the Trump EPA is working to protect and bring back American auto jobs and revive the auto industry by bringing commonsense back to Washington,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “It was a pleasure to be with the men and women, many of them veterans, who work hard to make the vehicles we drive. The Trump Administration will never stop fighting for American made products, American auto workers, and consumer choice.”
“It was so great to welcome Administrator Zeldin, Secretary Duffy, and Ambassador Greer to Region 5,” said EPA Regional Administrator Anne Vogel. “We have felt first-hand the burdens of overregulation. Here at the Trump EPA, we are working with our state, federal, and local partners to protect multigenerational American auto jobs.”
On the morning of Friday, January 16, 2026, Administrator Zeldin, Secretary Duffy, and Ambassador Greer toured Ford’s assembly plant in Cleveland, Ohio. Ford has announced that the company will be expanding production of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, including affordable trucks, a move driven by consumer demand for more ICE vehicles and Americans’ sweeping rejection of EVs. In early 2025, EPA transmitted to Congress three emission waivers granted to California by the Biden Administration. In June 2025, all Congressional Review Act resolutions disapproving the vehicle emission waivers were signed into law by President Trump, repealing EV mandates and restoring consumer choice.
In the afternoon, the trio went to Stellantis’ facility in Toledo, Ohio. Recently, Stellantis announced plans to invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its U.S. production by 50 percent. At both stops, Administrator Zeldin spoke with members of the press emphasizing the commonsense deregulatory work EPA is doing to help the auto industry surge, create good-paying auto jobs and reduce prices for consumers. EPA is currently working to finalize a decision on the proposed repeal of the 2009 Obama-era Endangerment Finding. The proposal as originally released would remove all greenhouse gas standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty engines model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond. It would also eliminate off-cycle credits for the start-stop features on cars. This would be the single largest deregulatory action in American history.
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, Administrator Zeldin traveled to Detroit, Michigan, for the Detroit Auto Show. At the auto show, the trio met with executives, tested vehicles, and walked the floor to see the new investment and technology in the U.S. auto industry.