- Automakers, stating in court papers, will back environmental regulators in defending the higher standards, thus backing the Biden administration's stricter air pollution standards for passenger cars, writes the Wall Street Journal.
- The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobbying group for automakers and suppliers, petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in defending the tougher standards against a legal challenge.
- In December, the agency finalized the rules with stricter tailpipe emissions and fuel-efficiency standards for automakers starting with the model year 2023.
- Also See: EXCLUSIVE: Benzinga's 2022 EV Listmakers Are Accelerating Electrification Efforts Around The Globe.
- Texas and 13 other states are challenging those rules in court. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the proposed federal standards will harm oil-producing states and unfairly promote "electric vehicle usage over other, superior means of transportation that use abundant fossil fuels."
- Lawyers for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation will argue in favor of the standards.
- "The rule is challenging and aggressive," John Bozzella, the group's president, said. "The country needs supportive policies and other tools to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles and enhance American competitiveness."
- The group's members include General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), and Stellantis NV (NYSE: STLA).
- Auto-market analysts said that the industry's shift toward developing electric vehicles has made them more confident they can meet the fuel-efficiency standards.
- Photo by webandi via Pixabay
