re: #35 Charles Johnson

Trump Admin is also looking into anti-trust violations because major auto manufacturers “struck a deal” with California on emissions.

Separately, the Justice Department has opened an antitrust probe into the deal, in which four automakers agreed on compromise tailpipe emissions requirements with California. The administration is also preparing to formally strip California’s authority to set auto efficiency regulations that are tougher than the federal government’s, according to people familiar with the matter.

I can’t imagine this ends well for Trump:

Automakers want to avoid splitting the market with two different standards — a federal mileage requirement in most states versus more stringent rules in more than a dozen states that adhere to California’s standards and account for more than a third of U.S. auto sales.

After talks with California and the Trump administration faltered, the California Air Resources Board announced in July an accord with the Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., BMW AG and Volkswagen AG on tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions regulations.

The four carmakers agreed with California’s clean-air regulator to boost the fuel efficiency of autos sold in the U.S through 2026, defying a Trump administration proposal to ease mileage requirements enacted during the Obama administration.

The market is moving towards more efficient vehicles anyway.