Earlier this year, a court ruled that individual states could set their own emissions regulations. However, since President Bush signed the new CAFE standards into law, the EPA has deem that states do not have the right to set their own C02 emissions standards.
California is threatening to sue the EPA, but a change seems unlikely.
If automakers were forced to have several variations of the same model for the U.S. market, R&D costs would likely be in the billions. With the auto industry facing a difficult stretch in the coming years as it is, individual regulations could prove to be disastrous.
“The Bush Administration is moving forward with a clear national solution — not a confusing patchwork of state rules — to reduce America’s climate footprint from vehicles,†EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson told Automotive News.
It remains unclear if the automakers knew of the EPA’s position, hence their support of the stricter CAFE standards.
