American truck manufacturers have agreed that it is better to switch than fight, reaching a deal that will see the phasing out of the manufacture of diesel trucks.
The State of California had brought forth a plan to ban the sales of new diesel big rigs by 2036.
To avoid possible litigation and to better foster a singular national standard for truck pollution rules, many manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and engines have agreed to the plan, which will make industry acceptance of non-fossil fuel-powered trucks an easier sell.
Whether this means a faster transition to EVs (electric vehicles) or hydrogen hybrids (hydrogen fuel used to charge a battery that powers a vehicle) or something entirely different remains to be seen.
The following have agreed to follow the California plan regardless of how it plays out in the courts:
- Ford;
- General Motors;
- Daimler;
- Cummins;
- Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association.
This group of entities—the Clean Truck Partnership—has come about following more than three months of negotiations between the industry and the California Air Resources Board, which has long been involved in trying to reduce GHG emissions.
Gavin Newsom (D), the Governor of California, said this is a step towards helping the planet heal from air pollution. "California has shown the world what real climate action looks like, and we are raising the bar yet again," Newsom said via a statement. "Today, truck 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."
Like it or not, diesel-powered vehicles are a huge source of GHG emissions in North America and around the world.
The California Air Resources Board said the state is responsible for nearly one-third of all the nitrogen oxide pollution and over a quarter of the fine particle pollution within its borders.
Vehicle GHG emissions standards have been at the forefront of American air quality laws, with national laws requiring other states to be able to create their own state pollution laws, but each must be equal to or exceed the sustainability levels set out by the State of California. It’s been this way for 50 years.
Eight states have adopted a precursor to the California plan, accounting for about 25 percent of the American truck market. The states that regularly adopt California regulations were briefed on the new deal at the end of the negotiations. The manufacturers said they are committed to switching to big rigs that produce no emissions, and they touted provisions to harmonize California rules with a recent proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit nitrogen oxide emissions.
While the trucking industry had been fighting the California plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—citing the need to create better fuel range to take precedence—California said it would adopt some of the less stringent federal regulations the EPA enacted in December 2022, including technical standards that would make it easier for trucks to comply at slightly lower pollution rates.
Ford’s Global Director of Sustainability, Cynthia Williams, said via a statement that "Automakers need harmonization between programs to help meet our shared goal of lowering emissions, [which] will help us get more clean trucks on the road across the country."
Truck manufacturers throughout the industry have stated that they are committed to a zero-emissions fleet and that their technology already supports it.
But to support a nationwide mandate, manufacturers need to see more federal support for infrastructure for electric charging stations and hydrogen refueling systems to build out an alternative to the existing diesel network.
While this new pact affects the manufacture of new trucks, older diesel trucks will still be allowed on the road--implying that diesel truck technicians do not need to be certified in EV or hydrogen hybrid technologies just yet.