The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent civil subpoenas to four automakers that entered into an agreement with California regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for vehicles in the state.
In July, Ford Motor Company, Honda Motor, BMW AG, and Volkswagen AG agreed with California on a voluntary framework to reduce GHG emissions.
The automakers and the state consider the framework as an alternative path forward for vehicles standards nationwide since the Trump administration wants to roll back GHG emissions standards for light-duty cars and trucks.
DOJ wants to determine if automakers violated antitrust laws
According to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, the DOJ wants to determine if the automakers colluded on the framework and committed a violation of antitrust laws. The department’s subpoenas did not require the automakers to provide documents related to their agreement with California on the matter.
The head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Mary Nichols previously stressed that the state worked one by one with the automakers on the framework. The automakers were aware of their obligation to follow antitrust laws.
