From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
SEMA sued. California retreated. And now the state's emissions standards agency has formally scrapped its zero-emissions purchasing rule for private fleets. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week announced the repeal of key parts of its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) policy, including applying to federal and private fleets, including dryage trucks.
This is a resounding victory for the industry against California's effort to ban ICE engines and, specifically, California's plans to ban new diesel truck sales by 2036 and require full-fleet conversion by 2042.
BACKGROUND
Previously, the state sought to require that only zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) could cross within California's borders, regardless of which state the vehicle was purchased or registered. Vehicles covered by the regulation included everything from heavy-duty tractors with sleeper cabs to work trucks, pickup trucks and light-duty package delivery vehicles. Interstate motor carriers and others who do not own CARB's vehicle of choice would have been barred from operating within the nation's largest single-state economy for even a moment.
SEMA last October teamed with NTEA--The Work Truck Association to file federal suit contending that California had overstepped its constitutional and state statutory authority. After the election of President Trump, California bowed to the pressure and scrutiny of this bad policy, opting to withdraw its request for the required Clean Air Act waiver required to implement ACF.
