California truckers sue state air resources board over zero-emissions goal

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — The California Trucking Association is suing the state’s Air Resources Board over new regulation affecting big rigs.

The association in its lawsuit claims that California cannot begin regulating trucking emissions without getting permission from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

California’s “advanced clean fleets” regulation aims to make sure all new trucks sold after 2045 are zero-emission vehicles.

The trucking association wants the regulations to be declared invalid and contrary to law. It is also asking for an injunction to stop the air resources board from enforcing the regulations.

The deal to phase out diesel big rigs was made between the so-called Clean Truck Partnership and the air resources board and companies that include General Motors and Daimler Truck North America.

Not all truck groups were in support of the initial deal. The Western States Trucking Association joined more than a dozen states in filing a lawsuit against the EPA over the waiver California was granted. That waiver allowed for the state to set emission standards some see as strict.

It’s not just larger vehicles California is hoping to make all-electric or hydrogen-powered. The state approved a regulation that would require all new car sales to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2035. This wouldn’t ban gas-powered cars altogether — people would still be allowed to keep their existing ones or buy used ones.

California earlier this year celebrated a milestone: It reached its goal of 1.5 million zero-emissions vehicles to be sold in the state, two years ahead of its 2025 goal.

The push for zero-emission vehicles would also require more charging stations.

KCRA 3 Investigates looked into the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations in 2022.

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