California Air Resources Board (CARB) Adopts Advanced Clean Truck Rule Targeting Zero Emission
California marks history again with its new Advanced Clean Truck Policy that aims at increasing the number of clean and zero-emission trucks, replacing the diesel and gasoline trucks. The rule requires truck manufacturers to produce electric trucks or zero-emission trucks as an increasing percentage of their annual California sales from 2024 to 2035. The mission is to sell only zero-emission trucks in California by the year 2045. This rule will also be America’s first vehicle standard for trucks, creating a market for up to 5000,000 electric trucks by 2040.
Advanced Clear Truck Rule in California – Highlights
Trucks are the largest source of air pollution from vehicles, responsible for 70% of the smog-causing pollution and 80% of carcinogenic diesel soot in California. According to the recent press meet by CARB, the new Advanced Clear Truck Policy will help California meet its climate goals and federal air quality standards. This benefits especially in the Los Angeles region and the San Joaquin Valley, which has the highest level of air pollution.
The rules’ main highlight is a ZEV sales quota where manufacturers who certify Class 2B through 8 chassis or complete vehicles with combustion engines will be required to sell zero-emission trucks.
Cleaning up truck emissions is a long and tedious task for the communities near freeways, ports, and freight hubs that massively suffer from harmful air pollution. As many of these communities are from a low-income background, the residents suffer from high asthma rates with an increased risk of cancer. Recently, preliminary research has updated the study saying that counties with higher long-term air pollution levels can also result in higher Covid-19 death rates.
The following chart shows the percentage of new truck sales by Class that must be zero-emission by the end of 2035.
New truck sales by Class that must be zero-emission by the end of 2035
| Model year | Class 2B-3 (%) | Class 4-8 (%) | Class 7-8 tractors (%) |
| 2024 | 5 | 9 | 5 |
| 2025 | 7 | 11 | 7 |
| 2026 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
| 2027 | 15 | 20 | 15 |
| 2028 | 20 | 30 | 20 |
| 2029 | 25 | 40 | 25 |
| 2030 | 30 | 50 | 30 |
| 2031 | 35 | 55 | 35 |
| 2032 | 40 | 60 | 40 |
| 2033 | 45 | 65 | 40 |
| 2034 | 50 | 70 | 40 |
| 2035 | 55 | 75 | 40 |
The California air quality and climate targets
When it comes to air pollution and climatic changes, California faces very challenging climatic changes risking the lives of public health. To meet the state’s climate change concerns, the following are the air quality targets:
- Federal health-based ambient air quality standards
- 40% reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) by 2030.
- 80% reduction in GHG by 2050 and
- 50% reduction in petroleum use by 2030.
To achieve all these targets, there should be a full co-operation from all sectors, including stationary, industrial, residential, and transportation industry, with significant contributions from public agencies, government authorities, private businesses, and individuals.
Why we need a zero-emission truck as a solution for climate change in California?
The significant share of ozone formation and greenhouse gas emissions are contributed in large numbers by transportation sources and the fossil fuels that power them. In California, they approximately represent 50% of the greenhouse gas emissions, which include emissions from fuel production and more than 95% of the toxic diesel emission. On the other hand, zero-emission trucks or vehicles have no tailpipe emissions and are 2 to 5 times more energy efficient. With reduced dependence on petroleum and diesel emissions, zero-emission vehicles paved the way for cleaner and green environments.
More about Advanced Clear Truck Regulation
The Clear Truck Regulation passed by CARB is a holistic approach to eliminating the smog-causing air pollution and associated health concerns risking Californians’ lives. The clear truck rule by CARB has two components: a manufacturing sales target and a reporting requirement.
- Zero-emission truck sales – truck manufacturers who certify Class 2b-3 chassis or complete vehicles with combustion engines are required to sell zero-emission trucks. By 2035, the zero-emission truck sales would need to be 55% of class 2b – 3 truck sales, 75% of class 4 – 8 straight truck sales, and 40% truck tractor sales.
- Company and fleet reporting – under this requirement, large employers like manufacturers, retailers, brokers, and individuals would be required to report information about shipments and shuttle services. Fleet owners with 50 or more trucks would be required to report about their existing fleet operations. This would help identify future strategies to ensure that fleets purchase available zero-emission vehicles and place them in service where suitable to meet their needs.
Trucks that are eligible for transition to zero-emission vehicles or electrification
Electric drivetrains are well suited for operating in congested urban areas for stop-and-go driving where conventional engines are least efficient. Battery-powered electric and fuel-cell electric trucks, buses, and vans are already used by fleets that perform local operations.
The electricity cost to charge a battery-powered electric truck varies depending on how fast you charge, the utility rate, and the time of a day.
Can fleet owners afford to buy zero-emission trucks?
The benefit of switching to zero-emission trucks is that electric trucks have higher upfront costs but lower operating costs than conventional vehicles. Gone are those days where diesel was the only option for fueling the truck. But today, with battery-powered electric trucks, the choice has been much more simplified. The total cost of ownership (TCO) is an essential aspect of the trucking industry. TCO gives the truck owner the ability to estimate whether a truck is a good investment or not. Understanding TCO is vital to the success of the business. Otherwise, the trucker would not be able to make smart, data-backed business decisions.
Elon Musk stated that an electric truck would cost around $1.26 per mile to operate, which is comparatively less than $1.51 per mile for a conventional diesel truck. Also, several states, especially the Northeast, have expressed their support towards this new rule and are planning to adopt it into their programs using the Section 177 of the Clean Air Act.
Inference:
Today, California took a significant step towards the betterment of green and safe living. If California can do it, then all other nations can supportively join this initiation to protect the public health and nation’s climatic changes as well. Compared to different other approaches, the Advanced Clean Truck Policy is the low-cost solution to deliver immediate ad substantiate greenhouse gas reductions in the city. With the launch of zero-emission vehicles, California can expect to see the improved air quality in the coming years.
Matrack – The trusted name for reliable GPS tracking solutions
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Rather than installing a cheap and illegal fleet management software can end you in privacy attacks and adverse effects, which is why buying a legal and trusted vehicle tracking software from Matrack is best recommended. This way, you can have a team of reliable and efficient truck drivers who bring in productive results with the speedy delivery of assets. The new fleet GPS tracking software by Matrack monitors your fleet by reducing the costs and increasing revenue. Matrack mobile asset tracking software takes control of your fleet management irrespective of the company size and industry.