Citing potential job losses, automakers lobby Trump for emissions rule changes

By Stephen Edelstein Published February 14, 2017

Automakers want President Donald Trump to revisit a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the last days of the Obama administration that locked in emissions standards for 2025.

In a letter sent late Friday and reported by Reuters on Sunday, executives from major automakers urged Trump to reverse that decision, claiming the emissions standards currently in place could risk jobs. The letter was signed by the CEOs of Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), as well as the top North American executives of Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Honda, and Nissan, among others.

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On January 13, the EPA chose to lock in emissions standards through 2025, an attempt to ensure the stricter standards enacted by the Obama administration remained in place. The agency had until April 2018 to decide whether to change the standards for 2022-2025 model-year cars and light trucks as part of a “midterm review,” but opted to make its decision before the Trump administration took office.

The automaker letter asks the Trump administration to reopen that review process. It said current rules “threaten future production levels, putting hundreds of thousands and perhaps as many as a million jobs at risk,” primarily due to the cost of compliance with the stricter standards. The automaker lobbying campaign started just two days after the 2016 election, when the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers sent a similar letter to Trump asking for revision of emissions standards.

A report issued by the EPA and other regulators in July indicated that automakers are meeting current standards at lower-than-expected costs, and that they can continue to do so with current technologies, rather than a large-scale switch to electric cars. The report did note that automakers may miss the 2025 target by a small margin if gas prices and SUV sales remain at their current levels.

Trump EPA nominee Scott Pruitt reportedly told a Senate panel that he would review the Obama decision, potentially opening the door for a favorable outcome for the automakers. In the meantime, virtually all of the automakers whose executives signed the letter have committed to launching large numbers of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric cars over the next few years, with Ford saying it would launch no fewer than 13 new electrified models by 2020.

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?

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Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

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Tesla just scrapped the Cybertruck range extender

Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck.

The writing was pretty much on the wall for the Cybertruck range extender last month when Tesla removed the option from its website. Now, it’s officially scrapped it and is refunding the $2,000 deposits that customers put down for the $16,000 battery pack.

“We are no longer planning to sell the range extender for Cybertruck," Tesla said in a message to customers on Wednesday, adding, "As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full.”

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Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix

Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.