Ford, General Motors OK California's Plan to Ban New Diesel Big Rig Sales

Ford, General Motors and several other large-truck manufacturers announced an agreement today with California over its clean truck rules, including a ban on the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036, which the state passed in an attempt to fight air pollution and climate change.

Carbon pollution wafting from cars and trucks remains the state’s largest source of planet-warming emissions, and transportation has been one of the trickiest sectors for the state to decarbonize.

The state’s powerful Air Resources Board solidified two nation-leading clean truck rules this year. The new agreement is an industry stamp of approval on those plans.

Last March, the Biden administration approved California’s plan to require truck makers to ramp up the sale of electric, heavy-duty trucks by 2035. Next year, the state will require truck manufacturers to begin to sell more and more electric models. By 2045, most heavy-duty vehicles on the road must be electric.

Then in April, California banned the sale of combustion engine trucks by 2036.

Those rules are likely to face legal challenges from Republican-led states or industry groups, but the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association agreed to follow them anyway. And the large-truck manufacturers say they are committed to electrification.

Gov. Gavin Newsom applauded the agreement in a statement that said: “Today, truck manufacturers join our urgent efforts to slash air pollution, showing the rest of the country that we can both cut dangerous pollution and build the economy of the future.”

Jed Mandel, president of the manufacturing association, said in a statement that the agreement is evidence of the group’s “commitment to reducing emissions and to a zero-emissions commercial vehicle future.”

He touted it as an example of industry and California’s air regulators working together, although truck makers had previously fought these clean truck rules.

Mandel’s manufacturers association and several truck companies, including Volvo, Daimler Truck, Volkswagen and PACCAR, had opposed clean truck rules on the federal and state level while they were publicly promoting zero-emissions fleets, KQED’s Laura Klivans reported.

Sasan Sadaat, a senior researcher and policy analyst with the environmental law organization Earth Justice, said the manufacturing association has for years actively fought against clean trucks in California and across the country.

“At every turn, whether it’s the Advanced Clean Truck rule, the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, the Heavy Duty NOx rule, challenging California’s authority to pass its own regulations, countering the stringency of EPA’s regulations, they’ve been the greatest barrier to more ambitious rules in slashing air pollution from trucks.” he said. “That’s their record.”

As part of the new agreement, California will adopt some of the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s less-strict rules on nitrogen oxide emissions and provide several years of lead time before passing new regulations.

“Through this agreement, we have aligned on a single nationwide nitrogen oxide emissions standard, secured needed lead time and stability for manufacturers, and agreed on regulatory changes that will ensure continued availability of commercial vehicles,” Mandel said.

The American Trucking Associations has said that California’s regulations are too costly and will be burdensome for businesses to adopt.

The industry group did not appear to approve of the agreement and issued a statement Thursday that said that while it has long advocated for harmonious regulations between California and the federal government, “the trucking industry shouldn’t be strong armed by the government into an agreement with such terms.”

“Our association represents motor carrier members — the paying customers who will inherit the costs of this agreement — and we will not roll over nor relinquish our right to litigate with any party when our interests are threatened,” the statement said. “It is clear that America has lost its way when the government bullies the private sector to succumb to unachievable timelines, targets and technologies.”

The pact will have national implications, as other states typically follow California’s rules. Several other states adopted some of California’s earlier truck rules, representing more than one-fifth of the U.S. truck market.

The federal government sets emissions standards by law, but the EPA has allowed California to pass tighter rules on cars and trucks that the federal government eventually adopts.