Car manufacturers in the US are fighting California's strict rules on emissions, claiming that lawsuits brought by the state could have a negative impact on the vehicle sector.

California has decided to file suit against a number of big automakers for the emissions which they produce, but as the case prepares to go to court, automakers are warning that SUVs could have to be dropped from production altogether.

The current emissions-reducing technology is not sufficient to reach California's tough emissions targets, but enforcing the rule and causing companies to drop the SUV in the state is unlikely to help improve that technology.

If the automakers lose the lawsuit, there is the threat that SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles could be withdrawn from the state, Dave Barthmuss, General Motors' spokesman for environmental and energy affairs, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

He explained: "Certain vehicles could not be offered for sale -- vehicles that consume more fuel than others. There would be fewer SUVs and we might not be able to offer them for sale in California.

"It could spell the end of the big SUV in California," Mr Barthmuss concluded.

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