California's New ACT - A Push For Clean Running Heavy Duty Trucks

By Ria Roebuck Joseph | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square California

April 3, 2023

(The Center Square) - A new ACT for California is on the horizon. “This is a big deal for climate action,” Governor Gavin Newsom stated. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule will set new minimum limits for zero-emission truck sales, with increasing ZEV manufacturing standards starting from 2024 through 2035.

Last week, two Clean Air Act waivers for California’s heavy-duty truck regulations were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, allowing the rule to go into effect.

California truck manufacturers will be required to increase new ZEV truck sales to as high as 75%, including 40% of semi-tractor sales by 2035.

“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,” Newsom stated.

The governor’s 2020 Zero-Emission Vehicle Executive Order requires 100% heavy-duty vehicles in California to be clean-running by 2045. Following that order, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) developed the ACT Regulation as a means to accelerate a large-scale transition to zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles.

Eight states are following California’s blueprint and moving to adopt or have adopted ACT. Together with California, the states represent 22% of all truck sales in the country.

The "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,” a statement from the governor’s office read.

The governor and legislature have committed over $5 billion to the transitional shift to cleaner trucks and buses. Last year, similar incentives resulted in 19% of all new car sales in the state being zero-emissions vehicles.

“Last year, California became one of the first jurisdictions in the world with a real plan to end tailpipe emissions for cars,” Newsom said.

"Much of California's electricity continues to come from fossil fuels with 3% from coal and 38% from natural gas" according to the California Energy Commission.

The focus of the work of The Center Square California is state and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility.