Big news: the lawsuit by U.S. automakers attempting to block California and 14 other states’ adoption of tough new tailpipe emissions standards has lost:

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the U.S. auto industry’s attempt to block California and 14 other states from setting tough new fuel economy standards, saying the industry had not proved the regulations were illegal, unsafe or unattainable.

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The ruling was a big loss for the industry in the fight over whether California and other states can require more efficient vehicles to reduce emissions linked to global warming. …

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In his ruling, Vermont U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions found that the industry had failed to prove either it could not meet the standards, that they would endanger drivers, or that Congress had forbidden states from setting their own fuel economy rules. “In light of the public statements of industry representatives, history of compliance with previous technological challenges, and the state of the record, the Court remains unconvinced automakers cannot meet the challenges of Vermont and California’s GHG (greenhouse gas) regulations,” Sessions wrote in his opinion.