Auto industry backs Trump in battle against California emissions, fuel economy rules

Several auto companies, including General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota, are siding with the Trump administration in the legal battle over whether California has the authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards.

The companies, along with the Association of Global Automakers, said Monday that they plan to intervene in the lawsuit, which aims to roll back the Obama-era emissions regulation, The Associated Press reports.

{mosads}The Coalition for Sustainable Automotive Regulation, which also includes Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Isuzu, Maserati and Ferrari, among others, also declared it stood with the Trump administration in the legal dispute.

“The certainty of one national program, with reasonable, achievable standards, is the surest way to reduce emissions in the timeliest manner,” John Bozzella, CEO of Global Automakers and spokesman for the coalition, told the AP. “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.”

Trump announced the rollback in September, citing lower costs and safety as two reasons for the proposal. Since then, a coalition of 24 state attorneys general, including California, launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

For decades, California has been issued waivers allowing it to set air pollution standards higher than that of the federal government due to its unique and significant struggle with air pollution and smog. A dozen other states and the District of Columbia follow its fuel economy standards.

Four car companies — Honda, Volkswagen, Ford and BMW — have already pledged to meet stronger tailpipe emissions standards, despite the rollback effort.