As Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency debates whether or not to loosen federal regulations on auto emissions, the State of California is taking steps to escalate its own targets. On Friday, March 24, state regulators voted to increase pollution-reduction requirements for automakers selling cars in the state and expand the prevalence of zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrids on the market. In the past, California’s auto regulations have shaped automakers’ decision-making nationwide, instigating efforts to develop more energy-efficient vehicle designs and ultimately prompting a stricter standard for national emissions legislation. However, as UCLA environmental law professor Ann Carlson observes, regression of national standards under Trump could set the stage for “full-out war” between automakers and California’s environmental protection laws. California Governor Jerry Brown and other state leaders have expressed their commitment to “intensify” their efforts to fight climate change and maintain California’s position as a pioneer of environmentally-friendly legislation.

Source: California’s vow to reduce auto pollution may be setting up a full-out war with Trump Los Angeles Times, 24 March 2017

Additional coverage about Trump’s environmental policies and transportation in California:

California And Trump Are Set To Collide Over Electric Cars And Gas Guzzlers Buzzfeed News, 7 March 2017

President Trump’s expected roll back of fuel-economy requirements could pit California against the EPA KPCC, 9 March 2017

California to fight if EPA eases emissions rule San Francisco Chronicle, 11 March 2017