In 1998, California became the first state to adopt rules requiring many sport utility vehicles, pickups, and minivans to meet the same pollution standards as regular cars, effective in 2004. As the deadline drew near, a business group (which may have an incentive to exaggerate) estimated that using the new technology to reduce pollution would increase vehicle prices by as much as $7,000. A spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board, which imposed the mandate, said that the additional materials cost was only about $70 to $270 per vehicle. Suppose that the two major producers are Toyota and Ford, and these firms were price setters with differentiated products. Show the effect of the new regulation. Is it possible that the price for these vehicles would rise by substantially more than the marginal cost would? Explain your answer.
In 1998, California became the first state to adopt rules requiring many sport utility vehicles, pickups, and minivans to meet the same pollution standards as regular cars, effective in 2004. As the deadline drew near, a business group (which may have an incentive to exaggerate) estimated that using the new technology to reduce pollution would increase vehicle prices by as much as $7,000. A spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board, which imposed the mandate, said that the additional materials cost was only about $70 to $270 per vehicle. Suppose that the two major producers are Toyota and Ford, and these firms were
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