California and major truck manufacturers announced a deal today that would avoid a legal battle over the state鈥檚 landmark mandate .
In return, the Air Resources Board will relax for trucks to reduce emissions of a key ingredient of smog to more closely align .
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have them not suing and not helping others in lawsuits,鈥� said , the air board鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淏ut more important is we ensure that we鈥檙e getting the actual reduction benefits associated with the rules.鈥�
The powerful Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association as well , including Cummins, Inc., Daimler Truck North America, Volvo Group North America and Navistar, Inc. .
鈥淏oth (the California Air Resources Board) and we realized that, through these discussions, there was an opportunity for CARB to realign with the (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) starting in 2027. And that鈥檚 really what led to our sitting down and coming to this agreement,鈥� said Jed Mandel, president of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association.
Starting in 2036, no new fossil-fueled medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks will be sold in California under a regulation approved by the air board All new models will have to instead be zero-emissions. Large trucking companies also must convert existing fleets to zero-emission electric or hydrogen models by 2042.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have them not suing and not helping others in lawsuits. But more important is we ensure that we鈥檙e getting the actual reduction benefits associated with the rules.鈥�STEVEN CLIFF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD
While manufacturers are now supporting California鈥檚 rules, trucking companies have vigorously opposed them, saying zero-emission big rigs can cost more than twice the cost of a diesel truck, take hours to charge, can鈥檛 travel the range that many companies need to transport cargo and lack a sufficient statewide network of charging stations. A top executive of the trucking industry had and said the mandate is likely to 鈥渇ail pretty spectacularly.鈥�
Vehicle pollution battles are high stakes in California: Under the federal Clean Air Act, the state that are stricter than the federal government鈥檚. to follow California鈥檚 lead.
Engine manufacturers fought against an earlier state truck rule, enacted in 2020, that cut smog-forming pollutants from medium and heavy duty trucks, warning that the rule was not cost-effective and .
When the federal Environmental Protection Agency adopted from trucks in December 2022, manufacturers were faced with the possibility of a split market, with California enacting different rules.
Under the new agreement, California will bring its 2027 standards for smog-forming nitrogen oxides more in line with the federal version.
Truck and engine manufacturers also will be allowed to sell a higher percentage of older diesel technology that isn鈥檛 as clean burning between 2024 and 2027, provided they offset the emissions, such as by also offering up a comparable number of zero-emission engines. The air board also agreed to give manufacturers four-years warning before implementing new clean trucks rules.
In return, the truck manufacturers agreed not to sue over California鈥檚 clean-truck rules or weigh in on lawsuits brought by other parties, and said that they would follow the rules regardless of how other lawsuits were resolved. , for instance, but under this new deal they won鈥檛 have the support of truck engine manufacturers, a powerful group that has sued the state before.
The agreement calls for rule changes that will still require a formal process and a vote of the board. Cliff said the staff has a strong case to make to the board about the changes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom , saying in a statement that 鈥渢ruck 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.鈥�
But Bill Magavern, policy director with the Coalition for Clean Air, said his feelings on the deal are mixed.
鈥淭his is a compromise that is really ending the war of the truck manufacturers against California鈥檚 rules cleaning up heavy-duty trucks,鈥� Magavern said. In exchange for greater certainty on both sides, there were also concessions because the EPA鈥檚 nitrogen oxides standard is not as strong as California鈥檚.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 most significant here is that the entire truck manufacturing industry is recognizing that we will be making a transition to zero-emission trucking. And that transition will be happening fairly quickly.鈥�BILL MAGAVERN, COALITION FOR CLEAN AIR
鈥淏ut I think what鈥檚 what鈥檚 most significant here is that the entire truck manufacturing industry is recognizing that we will be making a transition to zero-emission trucking. And that transition will be happening fairly quickly,鈥� Magavern said.
Cliff noted that the federal rules are important because 60% of the miles trucks rack up on California roads come from trucks traveling across the state鈥檚 borders. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get the benefits of those emission reductions, whether or not the truck is sold in California or in another state,鈥� he said.
Danny Cullenward, an energy economist and research fellow with American University, said the agreement is an unusual strategy, but given the legal uncertainty of a lawsuit in the current federal court system, he understands the rationale.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like regulating through contract, which is a little weird,鈥� he said. 鈥淒eals get made all the time. This one is just written down in advance.鈥�
California has struck similar deals before, with the Trump administration over its power to set greenhouse gas limits for tailpipe pollution.
Cullenward said the move makes it less likely that California鈥檚 clean truck efforts will become mired in lawsuits that eventually end up in front of the Supreme Court.
鈥淭he Supreme Court has gone from conservative to reactionary and aggressive, and I mean, lawless,鈥� Cullenward said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 more to be said, practically, from avoiding that drama.鈥�
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