Automakers have abandoned their legal fight for a Trump-era rule blocking California from setting emissions standards as the industry pushes President Joe Biden to accept a compromise with weaker fuel economy requirements than Biden helped chart almost a decade ago.A final group of automakers said on Tuesday it is dropping legal support for the emissions rule imposed under former President Donald Trump, calling it “a gesture of good faith” meant to help “find a constructive path forward.” The withdrawal includes Fiat Chrysler parent Stellantis NV and Toyota Motor Corp.; General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co. had already backed out after Biden’s presidential win.
The Coalition for Sustainable Automotive Regulation said in a statement it was “aligned with the Biden administration’s goals to achieve year-over-year improvements in fuel economy standards that provide meaningful climate and national energy security benefits, reduce GHG emissions and promote advanced technologies.”
While automakers are pitching an industry-friendly agreement negotiated with California, environmentalists are lobbying for the revival of a tougher plan imposed by the Obama administration. The issue is shaping up to be an early test of the new president’s commitment to fighting climate change through ambitious greenhouse gas controls, even when opposed by industry.
The auto emissions initiative is just one piece of Biden’s broader climate agenda, as the president last week set in motion broad plans for pausing federal oil leasing and replacing the government’s 645,000-vehicle fleet with zero-emission models.