WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Today’s decision by the U.S. EPA allows California to be the world’s first government to require zero-emission trucks and paves the way for clean trucks and buses across the globe.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the statement below following the U.S. EPA’s decision to grant a waiver formally approving California’s standards to reduce heavy-duty truck emissions.
California will require truck manufacturers to accelerate their sales of zero emission vehicles, setting increasing ZEV manufacturing standards starting from 2024 through 2035 that several other states are also choosing to adopt – together, California and those states represent 22% of the national truck market. Today’s action will protect millions of Californians from the harmful pollution dirty diesel trucks spew in communities around the state.
What Governor Newsom said: “This is a big deal for climate action. Last year, California became one of the first jurisdictions in the world with a real plan to end tailpipe emissions for cars. Now, thanks to the Biden Administration, we’re getting more zero-emission heavy duty trucks on the roads, expanding our world-leading efforts to cut air pollution and protect public health. We’re leading the charge to get dirty trucks and buses – the most polluting vehicles – off our streets, and other states and countries are lining up to follow our lead around the world.”
HOW WE GOT HERE:
- Earlier today, U.S. EPA approved two Clean Air Act waivers for California’s world-leading heavy duty truck regulations — including the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule.
- CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation is part of a holistic approach to accelerate a large-scale transition of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, as directed in Governor Newsom’s 2020 Zero-Emission Vehicle Executive Order, which requires 100% heavy-duty vehicles in California wherever feasible by 2045.
- The ACT rule requires truck manufacturers to increase new truck sales to 55% (Class 2b-3), 75% (Class 4-8), and 40% of semi-tractor sales to be zero-emissions by 2035.
- Eight states have moved to adopt or are working to adopt ACT and follow California’s lead while a 27-country coalition California is part of is working towards 100% ZEV new truck sales by 2040.
- Following Governor Newsom’s 2020 executive order to develop new rules, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved one of the world’s first regulations last year requiring 100 percent of new car sales in California to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035.
- Nearly 19% of cars sold in the state in 2022 were ZEVs, thanks to billions in new incentives and rebates for consumers.
- As part of the California Climate Commitment, the Governor and the legislature have dedicated over $5 billion to the transition to cleaner trucks and buses.