On April 28, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) unanimously approved the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule. Under the rule – California's second zero-emissions mandate for trucks – new diesel trucks cannot be sold in the Golden State starting 2036. The rule also requires new commercial trucks – including garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles – to be powered by electricity.
According to the ARB, diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks account for almost one-third of the state's nitrogen oxide and more than one quarter of its fine particle pollution. The nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists pointed out that while medium- and heavy-duty trucks are just 10 percent of the vehicles on U.S. roads, they are responsible for 25 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
The rule is estimated to deliver $26.5 billion in public health benefits in California in avoiding health impacts and deaths due to diesel pollution, according to CNBC. Meanwhile, its supporters say it will improve public health in marginalized communities that have endured polluted air while mitigating the effects of climate change.
Andrea Vidaurre, the senior policy analyst for the People's Collective for Environmental Justice, said: “Frontline communities across California who breathe in deadly diesel pollution every day can finally get some relief with the ACF rule. There is no acceptable level of exposure to deadly diesel pollution – so it has got to go, for the sake of our health and our lungs."
The ARB's April 28 edict banning gas-powered trucks followed its August 2022 ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered cars. According to the agency, 100 percent of all new cars sold in California will be electric by 2035. (Related: California moves to ban sales of gas-powered cars by 2035.)
Total ban on diesel vehicles not without opposition
The ARB's bans on diesel-powered vehicles were not without opposition, however. Some of the country's major truck manufacturers and their lobbying groups challenged the latest ban.
They argued that requirements are costly as electric models are more expensive than diesel trucks. Larger trucks are more expensive to convert to electric power, they added, owing to their size and weight. Moreover, the trucking industry has slammed the "unrealistic" deadlines given the lack of charging facilities and available space at ports.
Even the earlier ban on gas-powered cars received significant pushback. Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) President John Bozzella remarked in an email that California's targets for electric cars would be "extremely challenging" to meet.
"Whether or not these requirements are realistic or achievable is directly linked to external factors like inflation; charging and fuel infrastructure; supply chains; labor; critical mineral availability and pricing; and the ongoing semiconductor shortage," the AAI head wrote.
According to CNBC, the Golden State has committed to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. However, renewable doesn't mean reliable – and fossil fuels consistently produce more energy no matter the weather.
California's push for 100 percent renewable energy also spells disaster for an all-electric fleet. Increased demand for charging can and will possibly collapse the Golden State's all-renewable fleet. With insufficient energy supply to power electric vehicles, Californians are left with useless metal boxes.
Visit GreenTyranny.news for more stories about California's ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles.
Watch former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson talking about California's ban on the internal combustion engine below.
This video is from The Sword & Shield channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Cities in California are BANNING construction of new gas stations.
GREEN GOES STUPID: California to ban sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
All electric in 20 years? California lawmaker floats a bill to ban gasoline cars by 2040.
States are emulating California's "clean air" mandate by BANNING gas-powered vehicles.
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