California sues Trump administration over emissions standards

In addition to the measures we told you about yesterday to circumvent the Trump administration’s revocation of California’s stiffer tailpipe emissions standards, a group of 23 states on Friday sued to undo the the determination altogether.

The states, led by California and joined by the District of Columbia, Los Angeles and New York City, are seeking a court order blocking a determination unveiled Thursday by the U.S. Transportation Department and its agency the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to papers filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington.

The department said federal law preempts state and local regulation of vehicle fuel economy, including California’s greenhouse gas vehicle emissions rules that are followed by about a dozen other states.

As The New York Times reports, this suit could lead to an outcome that automakers had hoped to avoid – uncertainty, years of legal limbo while the case winds its way through the courts, and potentially different standards here and globally. The automakers would rather follow global trends towards more efficient vehicles, keeping overall development costs down.