The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to repeal the state’s zero-emission purchasing rule for private fleets, which was the last piece of the Golden State’s aggressive push to mandate electrification of the trucking sector.
Politico reported that the decision was a formality for the powerful state agency because it had failed to secure permission to enforce its Advanced Clean Fleets rule — which was more stringent than federal regulations — before President Donald Trump returned to office.
Following the president’s decision in June to terminate California’s mandate that truck manufacturers build and sell more electric models, the move illustrates how the state’s vehicle-emission standards have been thoroughly upended by the Republican administration.
Former CARB regulators, trucking groups, and charging infrastructure builders told Politico that an approach to electrification that involves more incentives and fewer mandates could be a better way to go for the medium- and heavy-duty trucking industry.
“It’s up to us to show that electrification is going to be a great thing,” Matt LeDucq, CEO of Forum Mobility, which constructs heavy-duty charging stations, told the outlet. “Not something you have to do, but something that you want to do.”
Trucking groups that have sparred with state officials over the electric fleet mandates said that California needs to invest in incentive programs to help small businesses put more electric models on the road, as well as build more chargers to keep them running.
“Incentives are a powerful tool to encourage and advance the adoption of ZEVs [zero-emission vehicles] for use cases where it is feasible,” Nick Chiappe, the California Trucking Association’s director of government and regulatory affairs, told Politico.
According to Chiappe, California trucking companies, school districts, and transit agencies took advantage of $200 million in electric truck and bus incentives — the state’s entire offering — on the first day they were made available earlier this month.
“The demand for this equipment is there, with or without mandates,” he said.
In the medium-duty space, there are signs that the trucking industry is moving increasingly toward electrification even without mandates.
On Tuesday, CARB released data showing manufacturers sold 30,026 zero-emission trucks last year — a 7% increase over 2023. The medium-duty space includes vehicles such as large pickup trucks and Amazon delivery vans.
According to the data, the number of new electric big rigs increased slightly — from 354 to 422 — while sales of diesel models dropped by approximately 10,000. Fleets and dealers reported a shortage of diesel models last year after manufacturers limited the supply to skirt rules mandating that they sell more electric models.
Truck manufacturers told Politico they would gladly sell more electric vehicles, but the combination of high prices and lack of charging infrastructure has driven down demand.
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