California leads state drive for zero-emission fleet transport

CALIFORNIA – This summer, California announced a plan that could significantly reshape all levels of the transportation industry from manufacturing and logistics to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

On June 2020, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule. The Rule requires truck manufacturers to ensure that some percentage of trucks sold in the state are zero-emission vehicles, with a target that by 2045, all new trucks sold in California must be zero-emission. 

The Rule also requires large employers to report information about shipments, shuttle services, and fleet operations.

While California is the first state to mandate the sale of zero-emission trucks, other states have recently voiced support and soon may adopt similar rules, provided the Rule survives a legal challenge brought by a coalition of manufacturers of natural gas fueled vehicles.

The Rule applies to all commercial trucks and vans sold in California including pickup trucks, delivery trucks, short-haul drayage trucks at ports and railroads, semi-trailer trucks, and big rigs.

Under the Rule, starting in 2024, truck manufacturers must sell a minimum number of zero-emission models in California. “Zero-emission” vehicles are vehicles that emit no criteria pollutants such as nitrogen oxides that are produced during combustion of a fuel.

Source: National Law Review