Furious truckers slam California for banning sale of new big rigs and buses that run on diesel by 2036 to slash emissions – warning it’ll drive businesses into bankruptcy
- New plans would see the Golden State push forward a requirement for commercial trucks to be electric
- The American Trucking Associations have hit back at proposals over costs to implement the changes
- Supporters say it will save over $25 billion in health savings from reduced asthma attacks
Truckers have slammed California regulators for voting to approve a ‘first in the world’ ban on the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said they hope it will put The Golden State on a path towards fully-transitioning trucks that travel across the state to zero-emissions by 2045.
The new rules, named the ‘Advanced Clean Fleets Rule’, is the first in the world to require commercial trucks to be electric.
They would tackle pollution from heavy trucks used to transport goods through ports and require firms to disclose their use of so-called drayage trucks by 2024.
Supporters of the new rules say it will generate $26.6billion in health savings from reduced asthma attacks, emergency room visits and respiratory illnesses.
One trucker, Roger Gibson, who spoke to KCRA 3 News said: ‘They are killing us, we have families at home too, we’ve got to make a living.
‘There’s a lot of brothers out there that own their own trucks, it is a fight.’
According to CARB, fleet owners would save an estimated $48 billion in their total operating costs from the transition through to 2050.
The board said that heavy-duty trucks, which represent only 6% of the vehicles on California’s roads, account for over one third of the state’s nitrogen oxide emissions and a quarter of the state’s on-road greenhouse gas emissions.
A graph published by CARB also show how 67% of class 7-8 trucks, which are heavy duty commercial vehicles, would be affected by the proposed regulations.
One trucker, Roger Gibson, who spoke to KCRA 3 News said: ‘They are killing us, we have families at home too, we’ve got to make a living.
‘There’s a lot of brothers out there that own their own trucks, it is a fight.’
According to CARB, fleet owners would save an estimated $48 billion in their total operating costs from the transition through to 2050.
The board said that heavy-duty trucks, which represent only 6% of the vehicles on California’s roads, account for over one third of the state’s nitrogen oxide emissions and a quarter of the state’s on-road greenhouse gas emissions.
A graph published by CARB also show how 67% of class 7-8 trucks, which are heavy duty commercial vehicles, would be affected by the proposed regulations.
The new rules, which cannot be implemented without approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will force fleet owners to begin their transition toward zero-emission vehicles starting in 2024.
Due to the impact that truck traffic has on residents living near heavily trafficked corridors, drayage trucks will need to be zero-emissions by 2035.
CARB Chair Liane Randolph said: ‘We have the technology available to start working toward a zero-emission future now.
‘The Advanced Clean Fleets rule is a reasonable and innovative approach to clean up the vehicles on our roads and ensure that Californians have the clean air that they want and deserve.
‘At the same time, this rule provides manufacturers, truck owners and fueling providers the assurance that there will be a market and the demand for zero-emissions vehicles, while providing a flexible path to making the transition toward clean air.’
