It’s still unclear how long it’ll take for electric vehicles to catch on. US automakers could be placed at a competitive disadvantage by the fuel economy standards introduced under President Obama as Japan and the European Union tighten standards , according to an opinion piece in Forbes . If states like California introduce individual standards , compliance within the sector could become logistically complex . A spike in gas prices combined with weakened standards could also cost suppliers up to $ 1.42bn in sales of fuel - efficient vehicles each year , while Fiat Chrysler , Ford and General Motors could lose in excess of their sales .
US automakers could be placed at a competitive disadvantage by the fuel economy standards introduced under President Obama as Japan and the European Union tighten standards , according to an opinion piece in Forbes . If states like California introduce individual standards , compliance within the sector could become logistically complex . A spike in gas prices combined with weakened standards could also cost suppliers up to $ 1.42bn in sales of fuel - efficient vehicles each year , while Fiat Chrysler , Ford and General Motors could lose in excess of their sales .