Ford backs US rules to cut car emissions

Ford said on Monday it backed the Biden administration’s moves to dramatically cut vehicle emissions to the end of 2032, rejecting Republican arguments the new climate rules were bad for business.

The second largest US vehicle maker said it supported the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) regulations announced in March to cut passenger vehicle fleetwide tailpipe emissions by nearly 50% by 2032 over 2027 levels.

“Complying with emissions regulations requires lengthy advance planning, and Ford has taken steps to transform its business to ensure compliance with stricter emissions standards,” the Dearborn, US-based vehicle maker said.

It said it welcomed the regulatory stability that the Multi-Pollutant Rule will provide, preventing the “possibility of flip-flopping or changing standards.”

Former US president Donald Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House, has vowed to reverse the Biden rules that would boost electric vehicles.

Earlier, a trade group representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford and nearly all other major vehicle makers on Monday said it supported two key aspects of the rule.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation filed in support of the EPA in including electric vehicles in fleetwide averaging of emissions and excluding upstream emissions from compliance calculations, but did not weigh in on the entire rule or the legality of the standards.

In April, 25 Republican-led states sued the EPA, arguing that the new regulations were unlawful and unworkable.

The vehicle alliance, which also includes Stellantis, Honda and Hyundai, said the two key provisions it was backing “are essential if vehicle manufacturers are to have any possibility of demonstrating compliance with the GHG reduction targets”.

Republican state officials argue the administration wants to transform the US passenger vehicle market through strict rules and force carmakers to shift production to EVs.

A group of 22 states led by California back the EPA’s tailpipe emissions regulations, saying they could be harmed if the EPA did not require future reductions in harmful vehicle emissions.

The regulations are among the most significant environmental rules implemented under US President Joe Biden, who has made tackling climate change a pillar of his presidency. The EPA has forecast that between 35% and 56% of new vehicles sold between 2030 and 2032 would be electric.

The EPA said the final rules announced in March would cut emissions by 49% by 2032 over 2026 levels compared with 56% under its previous plan. EPA chief Michael Regan said the rule imposed no mandate on manufacturers to adopt electric vehicles.

Reuters