This is great news: car manufacturer Volvo has just announced all of its new cars will be either partially or fully electric from 2019.

The corporation now joins Tesla as a frontrunner in the sector. But what about the rest of the pack?

Detroit’s Big Three of Ford, General Motors (GM) and Fiat Chrysler are still lagging way behind the competition, producing far more pollution and contributing to climate change at a greater rate than the industry average.

It’s time they step their efforts up a gear.

With Volvo’s latest announcement, manufacturers are feeling the pressure to keep up with industry standards. Let’s ask the Big Three to pledge their own commitment to producing fossil free vehicles.

Volvo just pledged to switch to manufacturing hybrid and electric cars only by 2019 -- will you take up this challenge?

Almost 150 million Americans live somewhere that doesn’t meet federal air quality standards. Gas guzzling Passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks are the main sources of this pollution.

A 2014 report from Union of Concerned Scientists report put Chrysler and General Motors last out of the major car manufacturers selling to the North American market -- with Ford not faring much better.

After Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Accord, Ford and General Motors were quick to respond. GM said, “International agreements aside, we remain committed to creating a better environment,” while Ford responded by reiterating its commitment to sustainability.

But words are cheap.

The American auto industry can’t afford to take a passenger’s seat while their global competitors take the wheel on an issue this big.

Vehicle emissions are one of the biggest global contributors to climate change. We want a written commitment from the Big Three that puts sustainability at the heart of their operations.

When it comes to protecting the climate, SumOfUs members like you have a record of speaking truth to power in the fight to save the planet. 83,000 members came together to fight Exxon Mobil’s distortion of climate change data, while over 120,000 of us spoke up when Google were caught funding the campaigns of climate deniers in Congress.

Now it’s time for the Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler take the breaks off and come out full throttle in support for fossil free vehicles -- for the good of the planet.

Ford, GM, Fiat Chrysler: don’t take a passenger’s seat while your competitors take the wheel! Commit to manufacturing fossil free cars only!

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