DOJ Subpoenas 4 Major Automakers Who Reached Agreement With California On Emissions Standards

According to Reuters, the US Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to four major automakers – Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, and BMW – after the automakers struck a deal with the State of California to follow strict emission standards for vehicles.

The Justice Department launched a probe into the voluntary agreement. While the prior four automakers reached an agreement with California, General Motors, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler sided with Trump administration.

The Trump administration has said that California cannot set its own emission standards and zero-emission vehicle mandates and will be investigating whether the companies engaged in “anti-competitive conduct” when reaching the agreement with the State of California.

Following the subpoenas being issued, the Justice Department, Ford, and Volkswagen all declined to comment. BMW simply confirmed it had received the subpoena, and Honda commented that the company “will continue to work cooperatively with the Department of Justice with regard to the emissions framework reached between the State of California and various automotive manufacturers.”

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