Top automakers warn Trump about plan to rollback emissions standards

Many top-selling automakers around the world sent a letter to President Trump on Thursday urging the Trump administration to scrap plans to roll back fuel efficiency standards set during the Obama administration.

In a letter signed by 17 major automakers including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, the companies wrote that a rule cutting back on fuel efficiency standards imposed under the Obama administration would essentially split the nation’s auto market in half, as companies would be forced to deal with competing efficiency standards imposed by the federal government and some states that have imposed their own standards, The New York Times reported.

California and more than a dozen other states have adopted their own fuel efficiency standards and are likely to sue the Trump administration to block the rule if it is announced, according to the Times.

{mosads}The Trump administration is reportedly planning to unveil the rule rolling back efficiency standards in the coming weeks, freezing mileage standards for cars around 37 miles per gallon and scrapping plans to raise those targets to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

The letter reportedly urged the Trump administration to resume negotiations with California over the standards, as did a similar letter sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), according to the Times. A spokesman for the White House did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

“We strongly believe the best path to preserve good auto jobs and keep new vehicles affordable for more Americans is a final rule supported by all parties — including California,” the letter reportedly read.

A spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers told the Times that the auto industry hopes that discussions ahead of the rule’s official announcement will allow for a compromised that avoids a divide between states and the federal government.

“Our thinking is, the rule is still being finalized, there is still time to develop a final rule that is good for consumers, policymakers and automakers,” said Gloria Bergquist, the group’s vice president.