GM withdraws support from Trump administration litigation on California auto emissions News
0532-2008 / Pixabay
GM withdraws support from Trump administration litigation on California auto emissions

Vehicle manufacturer General Motors (GM) announced Monday in a letter to environmental groups that it was withdrawing its support from Trump administration litigation aimed to revoke California’s right to set its own auto emissions rules.

In September 2019 President Donald Trump announced that his administration was revoking California’s Federal Waiver on vehicle emission standards so that they could produce “far less expensive cars for the consumer.” California and several other states then filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block the proposal.

GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and other vehicle manufacturers announced in October 2019 that they supported the revocation of California’s right to set its own auto emissions rules. The manufacturers supported the Trump administration’s proposal to prohibit individual emission standards by state. In contrast, Ford Motor Company, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW decided in July 2019 to move forward with making more fuel-efficient vehicles for the US, agreeing that a “national solution is the preferred path forward.”

On Monday, however, GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra wrote to address “an update on our commitment to an all-electric, zero emission future and our hope that we can come together to make that vision a reality.” The letter was addressed to 11 environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

On the litigation against California, Barra wrote: “We are confident that the Biden Administration, California, and the U.S. auto industry, which supports 10.3 million jobs, can collaboratively find the pathway that will deliver an all-electric future. To better foster the necessary dialogue, we are immediately withdrawing from the preemption litigation and inviting other automakers to join us.”