The Washington Post reported
on July 25, 2019 that Ford, Honda,
Volkswagen, and BMW North America
“struck a deal with California
to produce fleets that are
more fuel-efficient in coming years,
undercutting one of the Trump
administration’s most aggressive
climate policy rollbacks.”
The Trump administration’s
Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient
( SAFE )
motor vehicle rule
leaves automakers
free to meet any stricter
California rule voluntarily,
but they can not be forced.
According to the
Washington Post,
the deal:
“came after weeks of
secret negotiations
and could shape future
U.S. vehicle production,
even as White House officials
aim to relax gas-mileage
standards for the nation’s
cars, pickups and SUVs.”
In a joint statement,
the four automakers said
the deal:
“will provide our companies
much-needed regulatory certainty
by allowing us to meet both
federal and state requirements
with a single national fleet,
avoiding a patchwork
of regulations,
while continuing to ensure
meaningful greenhouse
gas emissions reductions.”
In 2009 the Obama administration
authorized California to establish
greenhouse gas emission standards
for all new cars sold in the state,
allowing other states to opt into
the California program.
Almost 95% of vehicular
greenhouse gas emissions
is carbon dioxide from
motor fuel combustion.
Here's the potential problem:
(1)
Automobile carbon dioxide standards,
and the related fuel economy standards,
apply to entire auto fleets on average,
(2)
But consumer preferences
differ from state to state.
(3)
So automakers would have to
continually reshuffle
the mix of vehicles
they sell in each state
that adapts unique
"California CO2 rules".
Obama climate czar Carol Browner
brokered a secret deal where California
and its "ally states" agreed to accept
automakers’ compliance with the
Environmental Protection Agency’s
greenhouse gas standards,
as compliance with their own.
In return, automakers
agreed to never challenge
California’s authority
to regulate vehicular
emissions.
For some reason,
California thinks
it has the power
to pressure automakers
to "voluntarily" meet
unique greenhouse
gas standards,
“decoupling” the state
from the so-called
One National Vehicle Program.
State regulation of motor vehicle
greenhouse gas emissions
is actually unlawful.
The Federal Energy Policy
and Conservation Act
prohibits states from adopting,
or enforcing, unique laws
or regulations, “related to”
fuel economy standards.
If the automakers
want regulatory certainty,
they should embrace
the Trump EPA's SAFE rule,
and NOT voluntarily adopt
higher standards for California,
which is nothing more than
leftist virtue signaling,
when compared with
its minimal effect on
total global CO2 emissions.