Carmakers to Trump: ‘Climate change is real’

Automakers are demanding that President Trump work on rewriting vehicle efficiency standards because “climate change is real.”

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents General Motors, Ford, Daimler AG and nine other car companies, made the demand in a letter earlier this month to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, Bloomberg reported Monday..

“Automakers remain committed to increasing fuel efficiency requirements, which yield everyday fuel savings for consumers while also reducing emissions — because climate change is real and we have a continuing role in reducing greenhouse gases and improving fuel efficiency,” David Schwietert, executive vice president of federal government relations at the trade group, wrote.

{mosads} The letter was made available on Monday amid pushback against Trump’s rollback of the car mileage rule, which would result in 13 states utilizing different mileage requirements.

“Operating under two or three sets of regulations would be inefficient and disrupt a period of rapid innovation in the auto industry,” Schwietert wrote in the letter.

The rule could hurt the roughly 7 million people employed in the American auto industry, he argued. 

The alliance asked that California continue leading the discussion in efficiency requirements.

Bloomberg reported that Trump is open to talks with state officials who have vowed to fight his “politically motivated” car standards.

California is one of 17 states and the District of Columbia that are suing the Trump administration over its decision to roll back vehicle fuel efficiency standards.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which protects against arbitrary decisionmaking.

He also claims the Trump EPA violated the Clean Air Act when it withdrew the greenhouse gas standard and the related Department of Transportation efficiency standards for model year 2022 through 2025 light-duty vehicles.

The White House did not immediately return Bloomberg’s request for comment.