Tesla IncTrump administration eliminated penalties for missing fuel economy targets and plans to end CAFE credit trading, making Tesla's regulatory credits worthless.

Tesla’s lucrative regulatory credit business has collapsed after the Trump administration eliminated penalties for missing fuel economy targets. The company reported just $146 million in automotive regulatory credits in the second quarter of 2026, down from roughly $400 million to $500 million per quarter in 2025 and a peak of $2.76 billion for all of fiscal 2024. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act reduced the civil penalty to zero for automakers failing to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, rendering Tesla’s credits essentially worthless. The U.S. Department of Transportation also plans to eliminate the CAFE credit trading program starting in model year 2028. The loss of this high-margin revenue contributed to a drop in Tesla’s automotive gross margin to 16.9% in the quarter and a 5% year-over-year decline in net income to roughly $1.11 billion, even as total revenue surged 26% to $28.2 billion on strong deliveries of 480,126 vehicles.
Tesla IncTrump administration eliminated penalties for missing fuel economy targets and plans to end CAFE credit trading, making Tesla's regulatory credits worthless.