EPA threatens to revoke California's ability to set emissions standards as the Trump administration moves to abandon fuel mileage goals

The Trump administration openly threatened one of the cornerstones of California's environmental protections Monday, saying that it may revoke the state's ability under the Clean Air Act to impose stricter standards than the federal government sets for vehicle emissions.

The announcement came as the administration confirmed it is tearing up landmark fuel economy rules pushing automakers to manufacture cleaner burning cars and SUVs. read more »

Tesla may have violated federal rules by releasing information about fatal California crash

Tesla may have run afoul of federal rules governing safety investigations when it released information over the weekend about a fatal crash involving one of its Model X SUVs in California last month.

The release of investigative information was the latest instance of Silicon Valley bucking long-standing norms in dealing with government officials.

The National Transportation Safety Board voiced its displeasure Sunday, saying it was “unhappy” that Tesla had released information about the March 23 crash that killed 38-year-old Walter Huang when his Tesla slammed into a highway barrier on U.S. 101.

In a blog post Friday, Tesla attributed the severity of the crash to a missing crash “attenuator,” a barrier meant to act as a sort of shock absorber during collisions. It also said the Tesla was operating in semiautonomous “Autopilot” mode. read more »