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Automakers drop support for Trump effort against California emissions

WASHINGTON — Toyota, Fiat Chrysler (now known as Stellantis following its merger with Peugeot) and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The automakers, which also included Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Subaru, said in a joint statement they were withdrawing from an ongoing legal challenge to California's emission-setting powers, "in a gesture of good faith and to find a constructive path forward" with President Joe Biden. The automakers, along with the National Automobile Dealers Association, said they were aligned "with the Biden administrationÂ’s goals to achieve year-over-year improvements in fuel economy standards." Nissan in December withdrew from the challenge after GM's decision in November shocked the industry and won praise from Biden. On Monday, the Justice Department asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia to put the California emissions litigation on hold to "ensure due respect for the prerogative of the executive branch to reconsider the policy decisions of a prior administration." Biden has directed agencies to quickly reconsider TrumpÂ’s 2019 decision to revoke CaliforniaÂ’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and require rising numbers of zero-emission vehicles, as well as Trump's national fuel economy rollback. Asked to respond to the automakers' action, White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy said in a statement that "after four years of putting us in reverse, it is time to restart and build a sustainable future, grow domestic manufacturing, and deliver clean cars for America." California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the automakers on Twitter for "dropping your climate-denying, air-polluting, Trump-era lawsuit against CA" and urged them to join the voluntary framework. TALKS WITH BIDEN Separately, an industry trade group on Tuesday proposed to start talks with Biden on revised fuel economy standards that would be higher than Trump-era standards but lower than ones set during the prior Democratic administration. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, well below the 5% yearly boosts under the Obama administration rules it discarded.

Join Autoblog editors for a full video tour of the 2019 Detroit Auto Show

The 2019 North American International Auto Show might have been a little more quiet than past years, but there were still some pretty major reveals, including the Toyota Supra, new Ford Explorer, Shelby GT500, Subaru WRX STI S209 and Kia Telluride. We also saw some lovely concepts like the Nissan IMs and Lexus LC Convertible. Senior Editor Alex Kierstein, Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Senior Green Editor John Beltz Snyder join me, Associate Editor Reese Counts — with Social Media Manager Michael Dylan Ferrara behind the camera — on a long walk through the show. We discuss cars, poke around the stands, dress a bloody wound and answer your questions in the Facebook comments. For more Detroit coverage, you can check out Autoblog's picks for the best in show, listen to our podcast or look at the best images from all the reveals. Finally, don't forget to watch Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore hand over our 2019 Technology of the Year award. Related Video: Green Detroit Auto Show Acura Cadillac Chevrolet Ford GM Hyundai Infiniti Kia Lexus Nissan RAM Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Truck Convertible Coupe Crossover Hatchback Minivan/Van SUV Videos Sedan facebook 2019 detroit auto show live

Redesigned Kia Sorento lineup to include hybrid, plug-in models

The next generation of Kia's mid-size crossover will be electrified, a company executive confirmed Friday. The redesigned Kia Sorento, due in 2020 as a 2021 model, will be offered in both hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. Kia's European COO, Emilio Herrera, confirmed the new green models in an interview with Automotive News Europe. They will join the Niro (which is offered both as a PHEV and a pure EV) and the delayed 2021 Soul EV in Kia's stable of electrified crossovers.  Details are still slim, and while the U.S. is the largest potential market for the Sorento, American buyers have been hesitant to jump on larger hybrid models. At this point, it's not clear whether the two hybrid models will be included in the variants available with the new Sorento launches, or whether they will be added to the lineup later in the crossover's product cycle.  Autoblog has reached out to Kia for clarification on timing and availability and we will update this story if we learn any pertinent information.  We do know that the new Sorento is due in 2020, and will share its fundamental architecture with sister brand Hyundai's new Santa Fe. Hyundai has not announced formal plans to offer hybrid variants of the Santa Fe here in the states, but electrified powertrains were hinted at for Europe when the crossover was originally unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show back in 2018.  Like Hyundai, Kia has been working hard to overhaul its crossover and SUV lineup here in the United States, where customers are migrating to taller vehicles in droves. The introduction of the larger Telluride has made some room for the stretched Sorento to shrink back into its primary role as a two-row mid-sizer. Related Video