A court case by General Motors, Ford , and other automakers against California’s new emissions rules will go forward. The U.S. state attempted to have the lawsuit thrown out, but a federal judge has ruled the case must go on.
The lawsuit dates back to 2004, when the auto industry sued California to block a requirement that they cut emissions by as much as 30 percent. The regulations were part of a major campaign against global warming. Automakers have argued the rules are simply unrealistic, and would create significant financial hardship. The regulations are to take effect for model year 2009.
The ruling comes less than a week after California launched a lawsuit against the six largest automakers operating in America. The suit alleges GM, Ford , Honda , Chrysler , Toyota , and Nissan have created a “public nuisance” by selling polluting cars.
