California: May pull out of fuel economy standard

[rickaren]

California: May pull out of fuel economy standard

Posted on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 12:55 PM EST.(Employee News)

California officials have threatened to pull out of a historic compromise with U.S. automakers and the Obama administration for a 35.5 mpg fuel economy standard by 2016 unless federal regulators side with the state on two key disputes, the Detroit Free Press reported.

The warning from California has triggered concern among Detroit automakers that the state could decide to enforce its own rules for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, setting off a wave of state-by-state laws rather than the national standards set by the Obama administration, the paper said. In a recent federal filing, the California Air Resources Board said the Obama administration needs to address two concerns in the final rule due March 31 “to ensure California’s continued support,” the Free Press said.

CARB wants federal regulators to lower proposed credits for zero-emissions vehicles, which include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, the paper said. California regulators also want the administration to reject a proposal from the alliance to ease the phase-in of the standards between 2012 and 2015, with a larger increase for the 2016 model year to reach the 35.5 mpg target, the story said. (Detroit Free Press)