(Host) An engineer for General Motors told a federal court today that the company needs more time to make its vehicles more fuel efficient.
The car industry is suing Vermont over new rules that restrict greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.
The companies say the state is really trying to control fuel economy. And the industry says that’s illegal because only the federal government can regulate vehicle mileage.
The state which is being assisted by environmental groups says the rules are targeted at air pollution, and are allowed under federal law.
General Motors engineer Ken Patton was the last witness to testify for the car industry. Under cross examination, he acknowledged that the company is pursuing a number of new technologies to make cars more efficient and less polluting.
The state will call its first witness to the stand today. The state’s experts are expected to testify that the industry can meet the new emissions standards, at a cost that is a lot less than the industry estimates.