Automakers appear to be at growing odds with each other as several manufacturers have sided with the Trump administration in its fight against California’s authority to set its own fuel economy regulations and greenhouse gas emission standards.
According to the Detroit Free Press, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Toyota, and a group called the “Coalition for Sustainable Automotive Regulation” that represents Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Isuzu, Maserati, McLaren, Aston-Martin and Ferrari plan to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Environmental Defense Fund against the Trump administration, who effectively wants to roll back gas mileage and pollution standards enacted by the Obama administration. As the report highlights, the intervening of these companies means they have sided with Trump’s decision against the state.
On the flip side, companies like BMW, Volkswagen, Honda, and Ford are advocating for stricter new fuel economy and emissions standards, all in the interest of preserving public health. The companies even reportedly bypassed the Trump administration’s attempts by signing a pact with the California Air Resources Board.
“The certainty of one national program, with reasonable, achievable standards, is the surest way to reduce emissions in the timeliest manner,” John Bozzella, spokesman and CEO of Global Automakers told reporters in a statement. “With our industry facing the possibility of multiple, overlapping and inconsistent standards that drive up costs and penalize consumers, we had an obligation to intervene.”
Despite supporting the rollback and lawsuit against California’s Air Resources Board, the automakers clearly stated that they still support more environmentally friendly standards. The Trump administration recently brought light on the matter after it announced plans to suspend the proposed 2021 fuel economy standards through 2025, challenging the former Obama administration’s plan dating back to 2016.
According to reports, the Obama administration requirements meant new vehicles would have to average 30 mpg in real-world driving scenarios by 2021 and then rise to 36 mpg in 2025. Those standards could be lowered and kept at the current level which is only 26 mpg.