California tells truckers to ditch ‘dirty diesel’ in groundbreaking zero-emission mandate

Golden State is ‘the first place in the world’ to require manufacturers to dump diesel

California adopted what it has called a “first-in-the-world rule” that will require truck manufacturers to transition to sales of zero-emission vehicles as a means to fight climate change.

The California Air Resources Board voted unanimously this week in favor of the measure, under which manufacturers must phase in zero-emission technology beginning in 2024 – with a full transition expected to be completed by 2045. At that time, the state will only permit sales of zero-emission trucks and delivery vans.

“California is an innovation juggernaut that is going electric,” Jared Blumenfeld, California’s Secretary for Environmental Protection, said in a statement. “We are showing the world that we can move goods, grow our economy and finally dump dirty diesel.”

NUCLEAR VERDICTS IN TRUCKING CASES RISING AT ‘EXPONENTIAL PACE’

By 2035, 40 percent of tractor-trailers must be zero-emission, while 55 percent of smaller, pickup trucks (Class 2b – 3) and 75 percent of medium and heavy-duty trucks and vans (Class 4 – 8 straight) must comply.

Gov. Gavin  Newsom said in a statement that California is “once again leading the nation” in fighting to make the air cleaner.

A number of companies have already begun manufacturing electric big rigs, including Tesla, Nikola Motor and Daimler.

TRUCKERS’ REQUIRED INSURANCE COVERAGE COULD INCREASE TO $2M

CARB noted that trucks are the single-largest air pollution source among vehicles, responsible for 70 percent of smog-causing pollution and 80 percent of soot, despite making up only a fraction of total vehicles in the state.

The state has already mandated a transition to zero-emission passenger cars.

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