Automakers side with Trump in legal fight with California

General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota and many others in the auto industry are siding with the Trump administration in a lawsuit over whether California has the right to set its own greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards.

The companies and the Association of Global Automakers say they plan to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Environmental Defense Fund against the administration over California’s ability to set standards that differ from federal rules.

The new move widens the gap between the industry and four other automakers, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, and Honda. They have sided with California in what is shaping up to be an epic legal battle over the state’s right to control pollution. At least a dozen other states follow California’s greenhouse gas emissions standards.