Truck groups counter Calif. zero-emission truck reg

By Nicole Norman | 10/08/2024 04:27 PM EDT

The regulation requires manufacturers to sell only zero-emission vehicles in California after 2036.

Trucks line up to enter a Port of Oakland shipping terminal

Trucks line up to enter a Port of Oakland shipping terminal Nov. 10, 2021, in Oakland, California. Noah Berger/AP

Trucking industry groups are seeking relief from a California regulation meant to reduce fleet emissions.

In a complaint filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, trucking groups argued that the California Air Resources Board regulation is “unduly burdening interstate commerce.”

The Advanced Clean Fleets regulation aims to reduce tailpipe emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. It requires manufacturers to sell only zero-emission vehicles in California after 2036 and mandates fleets to purchase an increasing number of zero-emission or near-zero-emission vehicles. It works alongside the board’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which ensures the availability of zero-emission vehicles.

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The Specialty Equipment Market Association and Performance Racing (SEMA) and the National Truck Equipment Association said the regulation discriminates against out-of-state regulated entities, as it applies to any vehicle that operates in California. They argued that the state overshot its authority — stifling innovation — by favoring one method of creating cleaner fleets.

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