Trump Administration Blasts Automakers Who Signed California Emissions Deal
A deal between several automakers and the state of California to curb pollution from auto emissions is drawing the ire of President Trump in the form of several irate tweets calling the participating automakers “foolish” and “weak”. This is the latest development in an ongoing tug-of-war between environmentalists and industry titans who want to modify auto emissions rules implemented by former President Obama in an effort to drastically reduce auto emissions.
After being lobbied by several automakers to weaken the Obama-era auto emissions reduction regulations, the Trump administration went a step further and proposed scrapping further implementation of the regulations and stopping at the 37 mile per gallon standard slated to go into effect in 2020.
The Trump administration explained its plan as a way to maintain vehicle affordability, with President Trump claiming an expected per vehicle price reduction of greater than $3000. In addition, Trump claimed his plan would increase auto safety, and claimed that increasing fuel efficiency would not substantially impact the environment.
Some environmental experts, including the Sierra Club, expressed a different view, noting the Trump administration did not provide support for their auto safety claims and that cars with lower fuel efficiency will ultimately add millions of metric tons of CO2 air pollution. Critics also point out that President Trump’s claimed savings on vehicle cost would be offset by an increased fuel cost for less fuel-efficient cars.
The current deal with California includes several prominent automakers, including BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen. They are pledging to continue to reduce auto emissions on a schedule that is in line with the guidelines set by the Obama administration, which ultimately aimed to reach a standard of greater than 50 miles per gallon by 2025.
Because of California’s position as the lead state on the regulation of air pollution, many other states end up adopting versions of their pollution laws and regulations. In an effort to stall the momentum of California’s emissions reduction pact with automakers, several news outlets reported that the Trump administration summoned several other automakers, including Toyota and General Motors, to the White House, in an effort to persuade them not to sign on to the plan.
The Trump administration also warned automakers that California would propose even more severe restrictions if they were successful in bypassing the proposed Trump administration regulatory rollback. Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working to produce the required data necessary to finalize the Trump administration’s proposed rollbacks.
Experts say this development could result in cars from different automakers adhering to different emissions standards, a development that could prove very confusing for consumers.
