General Motors announced the company will immediately step away from Trump’s administration efforts to scale back strict fuel economy standards in California and work with President-elect Joe Biden on plans that align more with environmental and climate change goals.
In a letter released on Monday to 11 leading environmental groups, GM CEO Mary Barra said she supports Biden’s effort to address climate change.
GM and other automakers had initially joined the Trump administration in fighting California’s tight fuel economy rules in court.
Competitors Ford, Honda and Volkswagen had sided with California and supported the stricter standards, which were part of former President Barack Obama.
The move marked an about-face from the automaker’s position under President Trump’s four years of leadership.
General Motors’ policy swing is rooted largely in the company’s ongoing efforts to produce more fully electric vehicles.
“We believe the ambitious electrification goals of the president-elect, California and General Motors are aligned to address climate change by drastically reducing automobile emissions,” Barra said.
