After several hours of testimony, the Air Resources Board (CARB) approved its Advanced Clean Trucks regulation on Thursday, setting a mandate on the amount of zero-emission big rigs and smaller delivery trucks on the road.
To meet the state’s carbon neutrality goal for 2045, the rule requires 3% of commercial truck sales to include zero-emission models starting in 2024 and phasing up to 60% for some truck classes by 2045, which will lead to an estimated 300,000 sold in the state by 2035. CARB staff anticipate zero-emission vehicles will make up 76% of the total statewide fleet inventory by 2045.
State and national trucking associations called the mandates “extremely ambitious,” arguing this aggressive pace has not been not seen even in the consumer car market, where the technology is already commercialized and performance expectations are lower.
Interested in more coverage and insights? Receive a free month of Agri-Pulse or Agri-Pulse West by clicking here.
The state must now apply for special permission from U.S. EPA to enforce the rule. Given the contentious relationship, CARB will likely not be submitting its application until after the presidential election.
