DETROIT — General Motors says it will continue to advocate for one nationwide emissions standard despite withdrawing its support of President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent California from setting stricter regulations.
GM’s reversal is aimed at taking an active role in discussions with President-elect Joe Biden as his transition ramps up.
The move raised tension between the automaker and the outgoing Trump administration, as did regulators’ order last week that GM recall 5.9 million older vehicles for potentially faulty airbags, though there was no outward indication that the two events were related.
“We’re confident that there’s a pathway to get to a program that the federal administration, California and the auto industry can agree on,” GM spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan told Automotive News. “We really wanted to make sure we’re a part of that dialogue. That was a step we needed to [take] to be involved in that conversation.”
GM’s previous alignment with the Trump administration on the issue had seemingly been at odds with the company’s stated “zero-zero-zero” mission of creating a world free of emissions, crashes and congestion.
In a letter to environmental groups last week, CEO Mary Barra said GM was inspired by Biden’s plan to expand vehicle electrification, create a million jobs related to electric vehicles and install 550,000 charging stations. GM has committed $27 billion toward electric and autonomous vehicles.
In the letter, Barra urged other automakers that in October 2019 had joined GM in backing the Trump administration’s efforts, including Toyota Motor Corp. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, to withdraw that support.
Toyota, in a statement, said it has long supported improvements in fuel economy standards and is assessing the situation. The company said it remains “committed to our goal of a consistent, unitary set of fuel economy standards applicable in all 50 states.”
Ford Motor Co., which along with BMW, Honda, Volkswagen and Volvo has sided with California, has publicly criticized the companies on the Trump administration’s side.
Ford CEO Jim Farley last week applauded GM for changing course.
“I’m also proud that Bill Ford and Ford stood tall for environmental progress from the start,” he wrote on Twitter. “Principle over politics.”
GM revealed its change of heart on the same day that federal regulators ordered the automaker to recall 2007-14 pickups and SUVs with Takata airbag inflators.
GM has said making the repairs could cost $1.2 billion.
NHTSA said the inflators “are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators.”
GM said it would cooperate but that it believes the recall is unwarranted.