WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. is urging main automakers to think about backing a framework cope with California on automobile emissions in a bid to achieve trade consensus earlier than President-elect Joe Biden takes workplace, in line with a letter seen by Reuters on Monday.

Main automakers are set to debate subsequent steps at a digital assembly of their auto commerce affiliation Tuesday, which comes every week after Common Motors abruptly introduced it could now not again the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to bar California from setting its personal automobile emissions guidelines.

In October 2019, GM joined Toyota Motor Corp., Fiat Chrysler Cars and different automakers in backing President Donald Trump within the California struggle.

Ford, Honda Motor Co., Volkswagen Group and BMW in July 2019 struck a voluntary settlement with California on lowering automobile emissions by means of the 2026 mannequin years that might enable them to fulfill a single nationwide normal. The targets could be decrease than Obama-era guidelines by means of however greater than the Trump administration’s rollback.

In a beforehand unreported letter, Ford Americas President Kumar Galhotra on Wednesday stated with Biden’s win, the struggle over Trump’s effort to preempt California on automobile emissions “is now, a minimum of for the subsequent set of years, basically moot. The extra related concern is thus the query of the requirements.”

Galhotra urged automakers “to actively take into account embracing the California framework.”

He added: “The Biden Administration is not going to let the Trump requirements stand, and both by means of litigation and/or a regulatory reboot, the brand new workforce will transfer in a special, extra stringent path.”

A Ford spokeswoman declined touch upon the letter however stated the California settlement “must be the inspiration for brand spanking new rules because the Biden administration considers stronger gas financial system requirements in 2021.”

California Air Sources Board Chair Mary Nichols informed Reuters this month the state’s emissions settlement with automakers may function a “good template” for federal requirements.

U.S. Tom Carper of Delaware, the highest Democrat on the Surroundings and Public Works Committee, stated “the remainder of the automakers ought to finish their challenges to state authority and embrace the California framework as step one in setting requirements that get us to the place we have to be.”

GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota declined touch upon Ford’s letter. Toyota stated final week of the lawsuit that “given the altering circumstances, we’re assessing the scenario.”