White House

 

US Government Presents Comprehensive E-Mobility Update — “The US government has provided a comprehensive update on electric fleet and charging infrastructure projects in the US. In addition to the activities of federal agencies, the announcement also includes a number of self-commitment statements by large companies. First, on the public sector: according to the fact sheet now published by the White House, federal agencies have already procured 13,000 light- and medium-duty electric vehicles in the fiscal year 2023, about four times as many as in the previous fiscal year. The background to this is that US authorities will only be allowed to procure zero-emission passenger cars and light commercial vehicles from 2027. From 2035, this will apply to all new vehicles, including medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Federal agencies also commit to installing an additional 24,000 charging stations at their sites by the next fiscal year – in addition to the more than 5,000 charging stations already installed at federal facilities nationwide. In the fact sheet’, however, the US government does not specify whether these are charging stations with one or several connections. This applies to all charging infrastructure announcements in the paper.” [Electrive, 3/31/23 (+)]

 

 

Federal Agencies

 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 

EPA Approves California Rules Phasing Out Diesel Trucks — “The Biden administration cleared the way Friday for California’s plan to phase out a wide range of diesel-powered trucks, part of the state’s efforts to drastically cut planet-warming emissions and improve air quality in heavy-traffic areas like ports along the coast. The decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows California — which has some of the nation’s worst air pollution — to require truck manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission trucks over the next couple of decades. The rule applies to a wide range of trucks including box trucks, semitrailers and even large passenger pick-ups. ‘Under the Clean Air Act, California has longstanding authority to address pollution from cars and trucks. Today’s announcement allows the state to take additional steps in reducing their transportation emissions through these new regulatory actions,’ said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, in a statement.” [Associated Press, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

EPA Approves California Clean Trucks Rule — “The EPA on Friday approved California’s nation-leading rule to start phasing out most gas-powered heavy-duty vehicles. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which California air officials adopted in 2020, requires manufacturers to sell increasing shares of zero-emissions trucks before 2035, getting to 55 to 75 percent of truck sales, depending on the type, and 44 percent of tractor-trailer sales. At least six states — Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Washington and Oregon — have already moved to adopt the rule, meaning it will cover almost a quarter of the nation’s auto market. Some lack the electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support new electric trucks, but have vowed to ramp up the build-out. California officials celebrated the approval on Thursday, but were also working to smooth out a last-minute spat with truck manufacturers that is holding up the approval of another tailpipe regulation. EPA was set to approve a third waiver covering California’s ‘omnibus’ rule, but held back amid the last-minute spat with the industry. The rule would reduce nitrogen oxide limits for new heavy-duty trucks by 90 percent compared to current standards by 2031.” [Politico, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

Biden-Backed California Rule Pushes Clean Trucks — “California will require more zero emission trucks on the roads after a key Biden administration approval, a move that is bound to transform the country’s truck market. The nation-leading Advanced Clean Trucks rule, first passed in 2020 and backed by the EPA on Friday, sets a timeline for manufacturers to phase out most gas-powered heavy-duty vehicles by 2035. At least six states — Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Washington and Oregon — have already moved to adopt the rule, meaning it will cover almost a quarter of the nation’s auto market. Some lack the electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support new electric trucks, but have vowed to ramp up the build-out. California officials celebrated the approval, but were also working to smooth out a last-minute spat with truck manufacturers that is holding up the approval of another tailpipe regulation.” [Politico, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

U.S. Approves California Plan To Require Half Of Heavy Duty Trucks Be EVs By 2035 — “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it was approving California’s plans to require a rising number of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks as the state pushes to cut pollution. California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Twitter that, as a result of the plan, ‘half of all heavy duty trucks sold in CA will be electric by 2035.’ ‘Time to stop playing small ball,’ he added. Under an executive order Newsom signed in 2020, California plans to mandate by 2045 that all operations of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles be zero emission where feasible. The California Air Resource Board had sought waivers from the Clean Air Act to set heavy-duty vehicle and engine emission standards. California has been joined by states including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington in adopting the rules. The EPA said it is not yet approving California’s request to set new regulations on pollutant exhaust emission standards for nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter for 2024 and future medium- and heavy-duty engines and vehicles.” [Reuters, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

California To Require Half Of All Heavy Trucks Sold By 2035 To Be Electric — “The Biden administration on Friday granted California the legal authority to require that half of all garbage trucks, tractor-trailers, cement mixers and other heavy vehicles sold in the state must be all-electric by 2035, an aggressive plan designed to clean up the worst polluters on the road. The pioneering truck rule will go beyond federal requirements, which is why the state needed permission from the administration to enact it. It comes on the heels of an ambitious regulation passed last year by California that requires all new passenger vehicles sold in the state to be electric by the same target year, 2035. Together, the two moves would propel California to the forefront of the race to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from transportation, the sector of the American economy that generates the most greenhouse gases. As the world’s fifth-largest economy, the state of California has tremendous market muscle; its new rules can force changes throughout the automotive industry and spur other states to follow suit. In fact, six other states have already adopted truck rules modeled after California’s new requirement but had been waiting for federal action in order to enforce them.” [The New York Times, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

California’s Landmark Truck Emissions Rules Get Federal Approval — “The Environmental Protection Agency issued two Clean Air Act waivers to California on Friday, formally approving the state’s more stringent heavy-duty truck emissions rules. The agency action paves the way for implementation of the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which aims to accelerate the shift to zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. A second waiver grants approval for actions that extend emissions warranties for certain on-road trucks. ‘This is a big deal for climate action. Last year, California became one of the first jurisdictions in the world with a real plan to end tailpipe emissions for cars,’ California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a statement. ‘Now, thanks to the Biden Administration, we’re getting more zero-emission heavy duty trucks on the roads, expanding our world-leading efforts to cut air pollution and protect public health,’ he said. Clean Air Act Section 209 waivers allow California to bypass rules that disallow states from setting their emission standards over federal regulations. California must apply and get approval for those waivers before its rules can go into effect.” [Bloomberg Law, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

EPA Approves California ZEV Truck Program, With NOx Action Pending — “EPA is granting a preemption waiver for California’s zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate for heavy trucks while deferring approval on the state’s ‘omnibus’ nitrogen oxides (NOx) program -- in line with a recent request from the state for more time to address concerns about the availability of compliant engines for the latter rule. The March 31 issuance of the ZEV waiver will allow California -- and by extension other states -- to implement several state initiatives related to electric vehicles: particularly its Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule, which requires increasing percentages of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to be ZEVs, along with a zero emissions airport shuttle bus program and requirements for zero emissions powertrain certification. Six states -- Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington -- have adopted the ACT rule under section 177 of the Clean Air Act, with the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management predicting in a March 31 release that ‘many more states are expected to follow.’ In addition, EPA is also granting a waiver for a 2018 California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation that tightens emissions control warranty requirements for model year 2022 and later heavy-duty engines and vehicles.” [Inside EPA, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

California To Require Half Of All Heavy Trucks Sales To Be Electric By 2035 — “KEY POINTS The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it’s granting California the legal authority to require that half of all heavy-duty truck sales in the state be fully electric by 2035. The Biden administration’s approval of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation goes beyond federal requirements. The approval comes after the state last year banned the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in the same target year of 2035.” [CNBC, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

Biden Admin Says California Can Require Half Of Heavy Trucks Sold To Be Electric By 2035 — “The Biden administration cleared the way on Friday for California to require that half of all garbage trucks, tractor-trailers, cement mixers and other heavy vehicles sold in the state be all-electric by 2035. ‘California leads the way once again. Time to stop playing small ball,’ the state’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted on Friday. ‘Half of all heavy-duty trucks sold in CA will be electric by 2035.’ Last week, The Washington Post reported that the Environmental Protection Agency would grant California a waiver that allows the state to phase out diesel-powered trucks. On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency granted waivers of preemption Friday regarding four California Air Resource Board regulations related to the state’s heavy-duty vehicle and engine emission standards.” [Fox Business, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

EPA Approves California Phasing Out Diesel Trucks, Replacing Them With Electric Vehicles — “The Environmental Protection Agency formally approved California rules on Friday to phase out diesel-burning trucks, a move experts say will kick off the transition to electric trucks in several other key states. California needed a waiver from the federal agency to enforce its clean truck rules, which have already been approved by state regulators, because they are significantly more ambitious than EPA requirements. The move promises to dramatically improve air quality for Californians, as heavy-duty trucks make up nearly a third of the state’s nitrogen oxide emissions and more than a quarter of its fine particle pollution linked to health problems. ‘Thanks to the Biden Administration we’re getting more zero-emission heavy duty trucks on the roads,’ said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. ‘We’re leading the charge to get dirty trucks and buses — the most polluting vehicles — off our streets, and other states and countries are lining up to follow our lead around the world.’” [Sacramento Bee, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

California's Quest To Phase Out Diesel Truck Sales By 2045 Just Got A Big Boost — “The Biden administration approved a waiver Friday to allow California to set its own emissions standards for semi-trucks, a move that could help accelerate the nationwide movement toward heavy-duty vehicles that don’t run on fossil fuels. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who pushed for the waiver, said the decision would help protect millions of residents from harmful pollutants emitted by large trucks, which create high levels of particulates and nitrogen oxide, or NOx, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems — as well as planet-warming greenhouse gasses.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

EPA Allows California To Proceed With Zero-Emission Truck Regulation — “California can proceed with the groundbreaking zero-emission truck regulation it passed almost three years ago. On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted the state the waiver it needs to enact the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation that requires vehicles ranging from small delivery vans to shuttle buses to 18-wheelers to transition away from diesel fuel — in favor of less-polluting battery electrics and hydrogen fuel cells. ‘This is a big deal for climate action,’ California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Friday. ‘Thanks to the Biden Administration, we’re getting more zero-emission heavy duty trucks on the roads, expanding our world-leading efforts to cut air pollution and protect public health.’ California became the first state in the country to mandate the sale of zero-emissions trucks in 2020. Poised to take effect with 2024 model year heavy-duty vehicles, the new rule requires truck makers to sell an increasing percentage of electric models annually through 2035. Forty percent of big rigs, half of all cargo and travel vans and 75% of box truck and dump truck sales need to be zero emissions by 2035.” [Spectrum News, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

Biden Administration Approves California’s Electric Truck Mandate — “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved California’s authority to set its own regulations requiring manufacturers to speed up the sales of electric trucks in the state. California has said that it will require an increasing percentage of trucks sold in the state to be electric from 2024 through 2035. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington and Vermont have also adopted California’s truck standards. A press release from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office said that California and the other states that have adopted the regulations represent 22 percent of the national truck market and that the Biden administration’s approval will protect millions from harmful air pollution that comes from diesel trucks.” [The Hill, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

EPA Clears California Plans To Phase Out Diesel Trucks — “The Environmental Protection Agency granted permission to California to proceed with plans for gradually phasing out diesel trucks in favor of zero-emissions heavy vehicles, a requirement that will have major effects on the nation’s transportation system. The EPA granted waivers to California under the Clean Air Act allowing the state to proceed with regulations for emissions from heavy vehicles. ‘Under the Clean Air Act, California has long-standing authority to address pollution from cars and trucks,’ EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a press release. ‘Today’s announcement allows the state to take additional steps in reducing their transportation emissions through these new regulatory actions.’” [Washington Examiner, 3/31/23 (-)]

 

Biden Admin Approves Strict California Rules To Cut Diesel Sales In Half By 2035 — “The Biden administration has given California permission to go ahead with a set of environmental regulations that would eventually result in a statewide ban on diesel-powered heavy duty trucks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday. California had been seeking federal approval under the Clean Air Act to implement the strict regulations, which would ban the sale of diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicles in the state after 2045, and require more than half of diesel trucks be all-electric by 2035. California has previously implemented rules that would forbid the sale of gas-powered cars after 2035, and six other states are expected to follow California’s lead with similar regulations now that it has received federal approval, according to the New York Times. ‘California leads the way once again,’ said the state’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a tweet Friday. ‘Time to stop playing small ball.’” [The Daily Caller, 3/31/23 (-)]

 

 

Manufacturers, Fleets, & OEMs

 

Ford Motor Co.

 

Ford To Drop AM Radio In New Models, Except Commercial Vehicles — “Ford Motor Co. plans to stop putting AM radio in new gas-powered and electric vehicles beginning in 2024, including the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup, the Detroit Free Press has confirmed. ‘We are transitioning from AM radio for most new and updated 2024 models,’ Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood told the Free Press. ‘A majority of U.S. AM stations, as well as a number of countries and automakers globally, are modernizing radio by offering internet streaming through mobile apps, FM, digital and satellite radio options. Ford will continue to offer these alternatives for customers to hear their favorite AM radio music, news and podcasts as we remove amplitude modulation — the definition of AM in this case — from most new and updated models we bring to market.’ Commercial vehicles will continue to offer AM radio because of longstanding contract language, Sherwood said. Drivers often turn to AM radio for live traffic updates and weather reports, as well as emergency communication. ‘I don’t know how many companies have dropped AM radio for EVs, but most of the German companies and Volvo have and now Ford,’ said Mike Ramsey, an analyst with Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner Research Group, which specializes in digital transformation and innovation.” [Detroit Free Press, 4/1/23 (=)]

 

Mercedes-Benz AG

 

DB Schenker Will Buy 100 eActros LongHaul — “DB Schenker plans to acquire 100 battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul for its long-haul operations in Europe. The two companies have now signed a letter of intent. It is unclear from the Daimler Truck announcement when and under what conditions the letter of intent will become a binding order. The manufacturer only reaffirms that the vehicle should be ready for series production in 2024. The eActros uses LFP cells made by CATL and will have a range of ‘around 500 kilometres,’ according to Daimler Truck. In the testing phase currently underway, the electric truck has to meet the same requirements for durability as a conventional heavy-duty long-haul Actros. That means 1.2 million kilometres of mileage in ten years of operation.” [Electrive, 4/2/23 (=)]

 

 

States & Local

 

California

 

California To Require Half Of All Heavy Trucks Sold By 2035 To Be Electric — “The Biden administration on Friday granted California the legal authority to require that half of all garbage trucks, tractor-trailers, cement mixers and other heavy vehicles sold in the state must be all-electric by 2035, an aggressive plan designed to clean up the worst polluters on the road. The pioneering truck rule goes beyond federal requirements, which is why the state needed permission from the administration to enact it. It comes on the heels of an ambitious regulation passed last year by California that requires all new passenger vehicles sold in the state to be electric by the same target year, 2035. Together, the two moves would propel California to the forefront of the race to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from transportation, the sector of the American economy that generates the most greenhouse gases. As the world’s fifth-largest economy, the state of California has tremendous market muscle; its new rules can force changes throughout the automotive industry and spur other states to follow suit. In fact, six other states have already adopted truck rules modeled after California’s new requirement but had been waiting for federal action in order to enforce them.” [The New York Times, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

California To Require Half Of All Heavy Trucks Sales To Be Electric By 2035 — “KEY POINTS The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it’s granting California the legal authority to require that half of all heavy-duty truck sales in the state be fully electric by 2035. The Biden administration’s approval of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation goes beyond federal requirements. The approval comes after the state last year banned the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in the same target year of 2035.” [CNBC, 3/31/23 (=)]

 

Colorado

 

Colorado Launches Grant Programs To Fund Electric School Buses, Truck Fleets — “A battery-powered electric school bus is pictured outside Edna and John W. Mosley P-8 school in Aurora on Aug. 10, 2022. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline) School districts, local governments and businesses across Colorado can now take advantage of a pair of new state programs to help fund the switch to zero-emission electric vehicles. State officials on Wednesday formally launched the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program and Clean Fleet Vehicle and Technology Grant Program, authorized by recent legislation passed by lawmakers in the General Assembly. Administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the grant programs provide up to $375,000 per vehicle to school districts to purchase new battery-powered buses, up to $8,000 for each light-duty fleet vehicle, and up to 60% of the cost of new electric trucks. The state’s electric school bus effort received $65 million in funding from the Legislature as part of a clean-air package last year, and it complements an Environmental Protection Agency rebate program that will spend $5 billion over the next five years to help school districts purchase new electric bus models nationwide.” [Colorado Newsline, 3/30/23 (=)]

 

New Jersey

 

NJ Commits Another $70M To Electric Buses, Trucks And More — “The Murphy administration announced Thursday that it will spend $70 million to buy new electric trucks, buses and other heavy equipment to replace diesel-burning vehicles in 20 communities that have historically faced high levels of air pollution. Some of the money will also go toward expanding electric vehicle ride-sharing programs. The funds come from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, better known as RGGI. The Garden State rejoined RGGI in 2019, and since then has raised $240 million; that money has so far helped pay for nearly 3,000 EV charging stations, 700 electric trucks and buses and 12,000 electric passenger vehicles. State agencies are currently creating a plan for how future RGGI funds will be spent through 2025.” [NJ Spotlight, 3/31/23 (+)]

 

 

 

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