Something is happening at the state level that the federal government most likely will fight against. Last week, the state of California cut a deal with Ford, BMW, Honda, and Volkswagen on a single set of fuel economy regulations. This completely bypasses what the Trump administration wants: a single set of federal mileage and emissions standards. California and the White House had been negotiating for months to make a deal, which has since proven futile. California’s decision also thrusts the issue of states’ rights front and center.
And now Colorado has joined that debate. Reuters reports Colorado has just reached a deal with major automakers to adopt California’s zero-emissions vehicle requirements, which take effect starting in the 2023 model year. General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Hyundai made the deal with Colorado on a program that begins with 2023 model-year vehicles. These manufacturers will be required to build and deliver a certain number of zero-emission vehicles.