General Motors Co. will withdraw from the legal battle between the Trump administration and California officials over the state’s authority to set automobile emissions rules, a major shift in the contentious fight that has fractured the industry.

The Trump administration will dramatically relax automobile emissions and fuel economy standards so that only modest efficiency gains are required through 2026, according to people familiar with the matter.

Environmentalists and consumer advocacy groups are castigating automakers for supporting the Trump administration’s effort to relax fuel economy standards, amid fresh warnings from a Democratic leader that the plan won’t deliver promised safety benefits and will raise costs for consumers.

A draft of the final rule, now undergoing a final White House review, includes several changes that could make it easier to defend in court and more palatable to some automakers that had refused to publicly endorse the earlier proposal.