Back in August, Ford joined Honda, BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo in signing a binding emissions agreement with California that will compel them to follow the state’s vehicle emissions standards moving forward, which are currently stricter than those imposed by the federal government. Now, the automaker is asking other automakers to follow suit in supporting California emissions rules in an effort to reach an industry-wide consensus.
According to Reuters, Ford Americas President Kumar Galhotra stated in a letter that with Joe Biden preparing to take President Trump’s place in office, the latter’s effort to preempt California emissions rules “is now, at least for the next set of years, essentially moot. The more relevant issue is thus the question of the standards.”
“The Biden Administration will not let the Trump standards stand, and either by way of litigation and/or a regulatory reboot, the new team will move in a different, more stringent direction,” Galhotra said. As such, he urged other automakers “to actively consider embracing the California framework.”
An unnamed Ford spokesperson declined to comment on the letter, but said the California agreement “should be the foundation for new regulations as the Biden administration considers stronger fuel economy standards in 2021.”
Just last week, General Motors announced that it would no longer back Trump’s efforts to prevent California from setting its own vehicle emissions rules. The world’s major automakers are scheduled to meet today to discuss the next steps in this process. Previously, GM, FCA, Toyota, NV, and a handful of other automakers supported the fight against California.
Per California’s rules, automakers will need to improve the average fuel economy of their vehicles from the current standard of 38 miles-per-gallon to 51 miles-per-gallon by the year 2026. Additionally, the automakers will work to produce vehicles that have lower emissions than what are required by federal standards.
So far, 13 other states have agreed to follow California’s emissions standards as well, so adhering to the stricter guidelines makes sense for automakers at this point. That way, companies like Ford will be able to adhere to one single set of guidelines, rather than producing vehicles that can only be sold in certain states.
We’ll have much more on this developing situation as soon as it is available, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
A President Biden will be indeed bad news for the auto industry. President Trump took great strides in attempting to cut back or freeze the stupidity of the emission standards to the point of building cardboard cars in order to comply. If I had to make a guess, FORD will be all too happy to go along to get along since they are on a fast train to no return of stupidity in moat that they do anyway.
If you come with me. You are the one talking like an idiot. We will have all electric cars that are as reliable and the same or better range than gasoline engine powered cars now. America likes bigger vehicles and I’m one of them. Eventually there will be large sedans and heavy SUV vehicles that are electric. But we’re not there yet.
It is sad that the public has not come to grips with the fact many of us do not want electric cars and are frustrated with the fact that it takes a computer to make the car run. you can’t work on the current automobile and due to the regulations the cost of good transportation is triple that of what it would be with out all the regulations . The gasoline engine is here to stay when you consider the cost of electricity if available is going up due to regulations , what happens if the dam breaks or the wind turbine breaks down or the nuclear power plant blows up or is regulated out. the computer is there to correct for poor design as in the 737 max the computer makes inputs to an aircraft that other wise would not fly.
Thank you, FORD, for your leadership and vision. California has saved countless lives by leading the way to clean air over the last half century. The next half century will extend into slowing sea level rise, something most people will turn a blind eye to until the storm surge washes over their shoes and yards. Our children and their children will look back to these times and shake their heads at the “fight” between ignorance and knowledge.
California is already so screwed up from all of ‘green this and clean that’. No one wants electric vehicles and those that buy them thinking they’re saving the world are the reason vehicles cost so much.
I don’t care what happens to California. If y’all are so concerned about cleaning something, how about y’all start with the homeless situation in all the major cities. This country would be a whole lot greener and cleaner if California fell into the Pacific ocean.
Leave my petrol fueled vehicles alone.
I’d respond with a well-reasoned, somewhat lengthy response, as to why you’re completely wrong…but you’re not worth the effort. Your attitudes are why the Trump Cult is going to be a laughable remembrance in the future.
Spoken like a true globalist America hating snob.Hey just like FORD.
To bad Ford executives are educated and realize that electric or alternative fuel vehicles are the future
Well that all electric TRANSIT should be interesting. However, given the long history that FORD seems to have with electrical issues, it may be a disaster. I hope they prove us wrong but we’ll have to see.
It’s what the market can bear not your electric pipe dream. Think about this: There are no credible plans for an all electric commercial airliner. You need a lot of power to sustain a 777 and electric motors won’t cut it.
Just wait until January 22 and all systems will be go!!
Electric cars are only zero emissions when and it the utilities generation fleet is 100% renewable.
So that needs to part of the solution and for system stability I’m pretty sure that some Nuclear generation will be required
Nuclear power is the all but perfect solution. But you just mention the word nuclear, some people will hide in the basement and scream.
Crabbymilton: Once the nuclear industry has some intelligent solutions to the problems that it creates. Burying waste in a mountain for 500 years is not a solution.
No matter how we generate electricity, some people will always find fault.
Doesn’t matter since young people just think it comes out of the wall for free anyway.😊
To bad it does with solar panels😲🙄
I agree that solar panels are now economically competitive but they do not provide the system stability required for reliability on the electrical grid.
All solutions have downsides and none are without pluses and minuses
I agree. We can’t just stick to one solution because or else we’re not going anywhere. I’m sure they’ll find something better in the future but for now we just gotta work with what we have and make the best out of it.
The cry babies hate solar panels too. They take up land and birds fry on them. Plus what do you do at night and when it’s cloudy? You need a continuous source. Sorry folks but nuclear is the best option. We can spray the contaminated water that is stored up on our enemies. 🙂 🙂
Shoving nuclear waste in up the earth’s ass isn’t the answer because then we’ll have to deal with it in the next 100 years or so and there’s something called BATTERIES. Solar panels collect energy during the day and store it for later🤌🤡
Yes I am familiar with batteries.
Still not reliable enough nor practical.
How do you think the Mach-E and teslas are powered? With a big rechargeable battery. Not with a few double A’s for sure! And the batteries last about 17 years before needing replacement so that’s more reliable than some traditional engines.
Oh golly wiz really? Yes I know those things have huge batteries. I was saying that solar is not the cure all. Panels degrade over time and cost a ton to replace.