The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted another far-reaching regulation that dictates what kind of trucks and fuels can be used in California in the future. Last week’s move comes on the heels of the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule which was adopted in 2021 and mandates an increasing percentage of sales of zero emission trucks in California. Taken together, these rules could be likened to a game of Jenga®. In this case, instead of a stack of wooden blocks, it is a teetering tower of rules and deadlines on the backs of manufacturers and fleets. It leans heavily on government funding and incentives, with uncertainty and assumptions of cost, projections of timing, and feasibility protruding at every level. Which block will be the one to topple the tower, or will it withstand the force of time?
The rules are related and, according to CARB, based on the need not only to meet California’s clean air needs but also the state’s commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and tackling climate change. According to CARB the benefits far outweigh the costs, and the need is immediate. What does all this mean for the future of diesel and other internal combustion engines in California? Some flexibilities are provided to continue to operate or acquire a new internal combustion engine truck in hardship cases or if zero emission vehicles or infrastructure are not available at the compliance deadline. CARB indicated they will review the state of technology in 2025. The rule banning diesel and gasoline truck sales does not apply to emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks.
Starting in 2036, all new sales of medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks must be zero emissions in California; scaling up from phased-in timelines that start in 2024 and vary by the type of truck. Companies that operate 50 or more trucks or have $50 million in annual revenue will be forced to gradually convert their fleets into electric or hydrogen models. They will need to reach 100% zero-emissions by 2042, with timelines also based on the type of truck. The earliest requirements would be for trucks that serve the ports (drayage trucks) of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland. All of them must be converted to electric models by 2035, and new sales beginning in 2024 must be zero emissions.
The state requirements to switch existing truck fleets to zero emissions by 2042 would apply to “high-priority fleets,” which are owned or operated by companies with 50 or more trucks or $50 million or more in annual revenue, and to federal trucks. CARB also indicates it will begin looking at similar mandates for zero emissions vehicles (ZEV) for smaller fleets of less than 50 vehicles in the future. This is significant since, according to the American Trucking Associations, 90% of the trucking industry are fleets containing 20 or fewer vehicles. To say the rule was controversial would be an understatement.