he 12-member California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved an electric truck mandate that will require medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturers to sell a larger percentage of zero-vehicles in the state starting in 2024.
The Advanced Clean Truck rule, the first of its kind in the world, establishes different sales targets based on the vehicle class.
•By 2035, about 75% of Class 8 big rigs sold will need to be electric.
•According to CARB, about 8,000 trucks in the Southern California ports will be out of compliance with California emissions regulations by 2022.
•The rule is the first of its kind in the world.
Volvo Trucks director of sustainability, Dawn Fenton, has replied that they "doubt the market’s readiness to absorb the volumes in this regulation.”
A full deployment of Volvo’s electric truck pilot in Southern California has been delayed due to a lack of charging stations, Dawn Fenton advised, while the coronavirus downturn has negatively impacted the heavy-duty truck market and eroded public funding intended to incentivize zero emission vehicle projects.
Jed Mandel, president of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, described the sales mandate as “fundamentally flawed” in lieu of an accompanying fleet purchasing standard requiring carriers to buy a corresponding number of electric trucks.
In a discussion before the vote, CARB members referred to the electric truck rule as “revolutionary,” “on the right side of history” and “a bold step.” The Board called on CARB staff to work with other states to help scale the electric truck market (already seven states have said they will work to pass a similar standard), continue moving forward with charging infrastructure and accelerate implementation of the fleet purchasing standard.
“There needs to be mutual
: that there will be vehicles for the purchasers and purchasers for the vehicles,” CARB board chair Mary Nichols said.
Ensuring the burden of compliance falls on operators and not misclassified driver contractors was another concern, board members said.
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