EPA to reconsider vehicle fuel standards, may move against California targets
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce its intent to withdraw final determination on strict fuel-efficiency standards for future cars and light trucks, the latest signal by the Trump administration that it is charting a new course on climate change.
According to individuals briefed on the matter, the new administration also is considering issuing an executive order that would revoke California's ability to set its own, tighter targets for those model years. California is the only state allowed to do so under the Clean Air Act, but other states can adopt its regulations as their own.
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Any decision to revoke California's federal waiver could spur a major legal fight, and the state has already retained former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. The state will "vigorously participate and defend ourselves" on setting the state's own air quality rules, California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols said.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-epa-fuel-mileage-autos-20170303-story.htmlMy thoughts: Although eliminating the California mandate would slow EV uptake a bit, it would, ironically, also assure the eventual bankruptcy of the three major US auto makers, who would reduce or stop their own EV development now, and have nothing to offer when the public turns to electric vehicles strongly after 2020 when EVs and ICE cars reach price parity, and noisy, dirty, require-frequent-maintenance ICE cars become the dumb-phones in a smart-phone universe. Those companies also need to be investing now in their own battery gigafactories, if they are to make the switch.
Given the millions of jobs involved with legacy carmakers, from parts manufacturers to assembly to vehicle design and sales, it's possible The Big Three U.S. carmakers figure the government would bail them out, the same way it came to the rescue after the 2008 economic crash. But next time, it will be different. By that time, if they fail to innovate, they may well be seen as more like horse and buggy makers than a modern car industry.
See the table here for a look at legacy automakers' ICE-specific assets:
http://tesla.dauger.com/disrupts/incumbentsshackles.html