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Ford Rival Toyota Says California Mandates Are Unworkable

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For years, the state of California has been pushing for an exemption from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would grant it the ability to set its own fuel economy and emissions standards, which will be stricter than those imposed by the federal government. California was granted that right by a court of appeals earlier this year, something that Ford has long been in support of, even if it means that the automaker can no longer sell certain vehicles – such as diesel-powered medium-duty trucks – in that state. However, one major Ford rival – Toyota – doesn’t quite feel the same way, it seems.

According to CNBC, Toyota brass considers California’s pending mandates as simply “impossible” to meet, and warns that they will lead to fewer choices for customers in not only that state, but the dozen others that are set to adopt the same rules. “I have not seen a forecast by anyone – government or private, anywhere that has told us that that number is achievable. At this point, it looks impossible,” said Jack Hollis, chief operating officer of Toyota Motor North America. “Demand isn’t there. It’s going to limit a customer’s choice of the vehicles they want. It’s going to distort the industry. It’s going to distort the business. Why? Because it’s unnatural to what the current demand in the marketplace is.”

Currently, California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations are calling for a 35 percent zero-emissions sales mix by next year for the 2026 model year – which includes all-electric, fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid vehicles. That number increases to 100 percent by 2035, while half of the 12 other states set to adopt the same rule are targeting a 35 percent sales mix by the 2027 model year. Currently, EV and PHEV sales accounted for nine percent of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. this year through October, and only California, Colorado, and Washington are over 20 percent. As such, Hollis is calling for a more universal rule that pertains to the entire country, and not multiple sets of standards.

“We would always want a 50-state rule, because that way we can treat all customers, all dealers, equally, fairly, whatever that might be,” Hollis said. “Our hope would be is that California and [the Environmental Protection Agency] would match up, and it would be reduced down to something that is achievable. Even if it’s a push, even if it’s a reach, but at this point, it’s an impossible stage.”

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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Brett Foote

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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