Ford and Volkswagen have to face new problems, as a new coalition of environmental groups have launched a campaign to persuade automakers to live by their commitments for meeting emissions and fuel economy targets for the next decade. It accused the industry of colluding with the Trump administration to loosen the clean-car standards.
The coalition initially plans to pressure Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen Group of America to publicly support the fuel efficiency program, one of President Barack Obama's key initiatives for curbing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It wants the companies to disassociate themselves from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a major trade association that is actively lobbying to relax the standards, and chart their own green path.
Supporters say the federal greenhouse gas program, which was designed to double fuel efficiency to more than 50 mpg, is a rousing success. Rapid technological advancements have significantly reduced automakers' compliance costs, fuel savings will more than offset the higher cost of clean vehicles, and 6 billion tons of carbon tailpipe emissions will not be released, they say. A 2016 EPA technical assessment showed that automakers were meeting the standards faster than predicted.
