President Trump’s Proposed EPA Regulations set to go forward despite backlash from international coalition of auto makers.
A collection of 17 automotive manufacturers from around the world recently sent a letter to President Trump urging him to reconsider his proposed EPA regulations policy. BMW, Honda, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen, and Mazda are some of the car makers who have joined the backlash.
The companies argued that if President Trump successfully completes a roll back of former President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency Automotive Regulations it will lead to uncertainty – which in their opinion – could threaten future profits.
“We encourage both the federal government and California to resume discussions and to remain open to regulatory adjustments that provide the flexibility needed to meet future environmental goals and respond to consumer needs,” the automakers said. They added that a unified standard that achieves “year-over-year improvements in fuel economy” while facilitating the adoption of alternative vehicles would “enhance our ability to invest and innovate by avoiding an extended period of litigation and instability.”
The White House Refuses to Back Down on EPA Regulations Roll Back
Many of these automotive manufacturers helped to create the conditions leading to the current dispute by their resistance to complying with the comprehensive regulations passed during the previous administration. As tensions continue to simmer between Washington, D.C. and legislators in 14 key states, international car makers are worried about what a reversal in policy will do to their industry.
The coalition of 14 states in question have already agreed that if President Trump returns EPA regulations governing the automotive industry to Pre-Obama levels, they will launch legal action. California’s Air Resource Board, as an example, has promised that it will pass more stringent emissions policy than the proposed Federal standards.
Because so many states follow California’s emissions regulations standards, the 14 state coalition, which represents over one third of the American automotive market, is a considerable battleground for the topic.
The changes on the table are set to take the planned 2025 corporate average fuel economy goal down from 54.5 mpg to just 37 mpg. They will also ease tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions standards and other fuel economy standards.
The collection of automakers argued that President Trump’s proposed EPA regulations would create two unique auto markets in America. One, would follow the new regulations standards. The other, based in the 14 states in opposition, would seek to maintain or enhance the President Obama-era legal standards.
The automakers were hoping for a single, unified EPA and CARB standard. They hope that this will lead to a compromise which will allow business to continue without having to change manufacturing and marketing practices as much.
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., noted the late timing of the automakers’ appeal. Carmakers “want the administration to strike a deal with California,” he said. But “we are now in the eleventh hour, and I fear it won’t be long before the rubber meets the road and the administration’s reckless rollback is finalized.”
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President Trump’s Proposed EPA Regulations Standards will go Through
White House spokesman Judd Deere, responding to the letter on Friday, June 14th said the California Air Resources Board “failed to put forward a productive alternative, and we are moving forward to finalize a rule with the goal of promoting safer, cleaner, and more affordable vehicles.”
Source: Auto Blog, Automotive News