Yesterday, the California Air Resources Board adopted a rule requiring all trucks sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2045.
California has issued the world’s first clean truck rule that will require manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and vans to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024. By 2045 all truck sales in the state will have to be zero-emission. California estimates that trucks account for 70 percent of smog-causing pollution despite accounting for less than 7 percent of vehicles on the road. The Resources Board also adapted the rule to aid the State’s overall greehouse gas reduction goals of 40 percent by the year 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
“For decades, while the automobile has grown cleaner and more efficient, the other half of our transportation system has barely moved the needle on clean air,” said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “Diesel vehicles are the workhorses of the economy, and we need them to be part of the solution to persistent pockets of dirty air in some of our most disadvantaged communities. Now is the time – the technology is here and so is the need for investment.”
California will also consider proposals to limit nitrogen oxide levels and fleet EV adaption requirements.
From the press release:
This requirement to shift to zero-emission trucks, along with the ongoing shift to electric cars, will help California meet its climate goals and federal air quality standards, especially in the Los Angeles region and the San Joaquin Valley – areas that suffer the highest levels of air pollution in the nation. Statewide, the Advanced Clean Truck regulation will lower related premature deaths by 1,000.
The rule drives technology and investment, phasing in available heavy-duty zero-emission technology starting in 2024 with full transformation over the next two decades. This sends a clear signal to manufacturers, fleet owners and utilities that the time to invest in zero-emission trucks – and the economy – is now. It builds on California’s leadership as a manufacturer of zero-emission transportation.
