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Over and over in their decadeslong war on smog, Southern California regulators have failed to use a powerful tool against ports, warehouses and other freight and logistics hubs that are magnets for air pollution.

The Trump administration announced that fuel-efficiency regulations for cars and light trucks are too stringent and must be revised, formally beginning a process sought by the U.S. auto industry to rollback anti-pollution targets.

The Trump administration will argue that the high cost of meeting Obama-era fuel economy standards discourages motorists from trading in less-efficient vehicles, as it sets about weakening the rules, said people familiar with the discussions.

As the Trump administration begins to dismantle Barack Obama’s ambitious auto efficiency regulations, California is said to be poised to retaliate by doing something that automakers have feared: de-coupling the state’s rules with those set in Washington.

California and the Trump administration are on a collision course over auto-efficiency regulations that could lead the White House to deploy the nuclear option: revoking the state’s cherished power to set its own limits on air pollution.

The Trump administration’s chief environmental regulator signaled a coming showdown with California, warning the state won’t dictate the future of ambitious automobile fuel economy regulations enacted by the Obama administration.

UPS Inc. announced it will deploy 50 newly designed plug-in electric delivery trucks by the end of the year. The vehicles are comparable in acquisition cost to its conventional-fueled package delivery trucks without the use of subsidies — a development it calls an industry first and one that breaks a key barrier to large-scale fleet adoption.

The top three containerports in California touted recent accomplishments in the battle against pollution as stakeholders debate what will be included in an update to the Clean Air Action Plan.

Cummins Inc. recently endorsed two fuel additives, marking the first time the diesel engine maker has taken such a step.

California environmental officials are working on a plan to require truck and engine manufacturers to extend emissions system warranties up to more than four times longer than current regulations require.