In the power struggle between the government of US President Donald Trump and the state of California advised Volkswagen, BMW, Ford and Honda between the fronts. The US Department of Justice is said to have initiated a preliminary antitrust case against the four car companies.
Honda said it wanted to cooperate in the matter with the judicial authorities. On request, VW merely stated that it was in contact with US authorities on a number of issues. At BMW said that it could confirm the receipt of a request from the US Department of Justice and will respond appropriately. Ford did not comment. The ministry declined to comment.
California and Trump are in trouble
In July, the four automakers announced an agreement with the California Environmental Protection Agency (CARB) to regulate emissions standards. This should ensure a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The deal displeases the government of US President Donald Trump. She wants to turn back a planned tightening of fuel and emissions regulations for cars at the federal level. California, the state with the largest car market, and the Trump government have been in trouble for quite some time.
Car industry between the fronts
The situation is complicated: California has been able to adopt stricter emission regulations than at federal level because of a derogation, which is also followed by a number of other US states.
The Trump government would like to recognize this privilege to the state. The auto industry is in conflict due to the dispute. Although it has long lobbied for softer rules, it is interested in uniform standards. After all, having to adapt models to divergent regional rules would be cumbersome and expensive.
