Trump drops probe of carmakers that sided with California in climate change fight
The Trump administration has dropped its antitrust investigation into four automakers that defied the White House and sided with California in a protracted fight over limits on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Multiple media outlets reported that the Justice Department ended its investigation. Rachel McCleery, a spokeswoman for Ford Motor Co., confirmed to The Sacramento Bee that the probe has ended.
Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately seized on the news, calling it a win for California.
“These trumped up charges were always a sham — a blatant attempt by the Trump administration to prevent more automakers from joining California and agreeing to stronger emissions standards,” the governor said in a prepared statement. “This is a big loss for the President and his weaponization of federal agencies — and a victory for anyone who cares about the rule of law and clean air.”
California and the Trump administration have been sparring for three years over limits on tailpipe emissions — specifically, a set of restrictions imposed by the Obama administration that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars by about 30 percent by 2025. Because building lighter cars is the most effective way of reducing carbon emissions, the plan would increase fuel economy from 35 to 50 miles per gallon.
President Donald Trump’s administration rescinded those rules and substituted a much more relaxed set of regulations.
Then four automakers — Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen — last summer signed onto a compromise standard with Newsom and the California Air Resources Board. The deal would give the automakers an extra year to meet the standards set by Obama.
Trump’s Justice Department then launched an antitrust investigation into the four carmakers’ actions. The department reportedly was looking into whether the compromise would restrict competition in the auto industry limiting the types of cars and trucks available to the consumer.
California officials immediately blasted the investigation; Air Resources Board chairwoman Mary Nichols called it “government-sponsored persecution.”
The Trump administration in September announced that it would revoke California’s special authority under the federal Clean Air Act to set its own air pollution regulations. California and other states have sued the Trump administration to protect California’s air pollution authority.
Other automakers, including global giants GM and Toyota, have stuck with the Trump administration. But the entire industry has been urging California and the feds to strike a deal to remove the uncertainty hanging over the manufacturers.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Trump drops probe of carmakers that sided with California in climate change fight."