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Ford Disavows EMA Lawsuit Over California NOx Emission Regulation

Ford has long supported California’s right to set its own, stricter fuel economy and vehicle emission standards, in spite of some fierce political blowback at times. In fact, the automaker recently threw its support behind the EPA’s decision to reinstate those rights in court. Now, Ford has also disavowed a lawsuit from the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) – which it belongs to – that aims to delay the implementation of the California Heavy-Duty Omnibus (HDO) clean truck regulation.

“While Ford is a member of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), Ford opted out of this litigation months ago and is not involved with EMA’s legal challenge to California’s Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus Regulation,” said Cynthia Williams, Ford’s global director of sustainability, homologation, and compliance. “We are proud to stand with California in support of clean truck emissions standards that will help accelerate the transition to zero-emissions vehicles and reduce air pollution.”

“Ford is moving now to deliver breakthrough electric vehicles for the many rather than the few,” Williams added. “We are introducing all-electric versions of our most popular, iconic vehicles like the F-150 Lightning, the Mustang Mach-E, and the E-Transit van, scaling production to reach a target of producing more than two million electric vehicles per year by 2026, and leading a new era of sustainable manufacturing.  We are focused on creating good jobs, building the future of zero-emissions transportation, and growing our business in ways that are good for people and the planet.”

Currently, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is aiming to establish oxides of nitrogen (NOx) engine emission standards that are 90 percent lower than today’s at 0.02 g/bhp-hr. The state argues that these changes are needed to encourage automakers to produce heavy-duty vehicles that are more environmentally friendly, as well as attaining existing air quality standards goals.

Meanwhile, EMA argues that California should be required to follow the standards set forth in the federal Clean Air Act, which requires that heavy-duty on-highway engine and vehicle manufacturers be provided at least four full model years of leadtime before new emission standards become effective. CARB’s NOx standards are set to take effect on January 1st, 2024, which is roughly two years since the regulation was introduced last December.

In addition to Ford, a host of automakers are currently members of the EMA, including Honda, General Motors, Stellantis, Volkswagen, and Volvo, to name just a few.

We’ll have more on this lawsuit soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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