Trucks Clips: January 21, 2025

 

 

‘Drill baby drill’: Trump takes aim at clean energy, climate change and the environment on day one. “On the day he took his oath of office, President Trump promised to sign numerous executive orders that stand to undercut California’s aggressive auto emission standards, undo Biden-era environmental protections and boost U.S. fossil fuel production. To raucous applause — first inside the Capitol Rotunda and inside the Capital One Arena afterward — Trump assured that his administration would ‘drill baby drill.’ Among other anticipated actions, Trump signaled in his inauguration address that he intended to nix California’s statewide ban on selling new cars that run solely on gasoline starting in 2035. The ‘Advanced Clean Cars II’ rule requires an increasing percentage of passenger vehicles sold by California auto dealerships to be powered by zero-emission electric batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, with a small share of plug-in hybrids allowed. It is supposed to take full effect in a decade, though the auto industry is not on track to meet that ambitious goal. ‘We will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American auto workers,’ he said in the Capitol Rotunda. ‘In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice.’” [Los Angeles Times, 01/20/25 (=)]

 

 

House

 

First House transportation committee hearing of 2025 addresses multiple trucking issues. “State and federal regulations expediting the adoption of electric trucks were also a topic of discussion. Galica told the committee that Home Depot is ‘aware of existing and pending state and federal regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions by mandating use of battery-electric trucks.’ On the federal side, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule last year that will effectively require 25% of sleeper cab tractors to be zero-emission by 2032. Meanwhile, California has implemented a suite of even stricter emission rules, including Advanced Clean Trucks rules that have been adopted by 10 other states. The day before the hearing, California pulled the plug on Advanced Clean Fleets. In written testimony, Galica explained to committee members the many concerns the trucking industry has over those emission regulations. ‘While our carriers are also committed to reducing carbon emissions, there are legitimate concerns about the feasibility of electric trucks as it relates to charging stations and the associated strain on the nation’s electric grid, as well as the readiness and availability of technological upgrades needed to adapt battery-electric vehicles to satisfy deliveries to our stores and to our customers,’ Galica said.” [Land Line, 01/17/25 (=)]

 

 

Canoo

 

Canoo Goes Bust. Who’s Next?. “Canoo, the erstwhile EV startup, is kaput, having filed for bankruptcy on January 17, 2025. As the Grateful Dead might say, ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been.’ Ten years ago, there were more EV startups than you could shake a stick at, as my old Irish grandmother would say. One was Workhorse, which promised a battery electric pickup truck with a range-extender engine. Another was Faraday Future, which burst upon the scene and promised great things, including a spiffy new manufacturing facility near Las Vegas if the great state of Nevada would only pony up the money to pay for it. Then there was Lucid, run by a former Tesla engineer. And then there was Fisker (Part One).” [CleanTechnica, 01/18/25 (~)]

 

Another one bites the dust as Canoo files for chapter 7 bankruptcy. “In an official announcement released at 8:15PM last night, Walmart-backed electric van company Canoo filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the US Bankruptcy Code and will cease operations immediately. Despite some early signs of promise with pilot programs at the USPS, US Army, and even a highly-publicized collaboration with NASA, the electric van company either failed to find a place in the market, failed to get enough vehicles produced to meet demand, or just failed to deliver in general. Regardless, the chapter 7 filing seems to be the end of the road for Canoo.” [Electrek, 01/18/25 (=)]

 

GreenPower Motor

 

Go West, young brand – GreenPower Motor Company sells 11 more BEAST buses. “GreenPower Motor Company says it’s received three orders for 11 of its BEAST electric Type D school buses for western state school districts in Arizona, California, and Oregon. GreenPower hasn’t made the sort of headline-grabbing promises or big-money commitments that companies like Nikola and Lion Electric have, but while those companies are floundering GPM seems to be plugging away, taking orders where it can and actually delivering buses to schools. Late last year, the company scored 11 more orders for its flagship BEAST electric school bus.” [Electrek, 01/19/25 (=)]

 

Harbinger

 

Harbinger electric truck brand gets real with $100M Series B funding raise. “While some recent high-profile bankruptcies have cast doubt on the EV startup space recently, medium-duty electric truck maker Harbinger got a shot of credibility this week with a massive $100 million Series B funding round co-led by Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for fledgling EV brands like Lion Electric and Canoo, but box van builder Harbinger is bucking the trend, fueling its latest funding round with an order book of 4,690 vehicles that’s valued at nearly $500 million. Some of the company’s more notable customers including Bimbo Bakeries (which owns brands like Sara Lee, Thomas’, and Entenmann’s) and THOR Industries (Airstream, Jayco, Thor), which is also one of the investors in the Series B.” [Electrek, 01/19/25 (+)]

 

Hino

 

Hino Hit with Massive Emissions Fines. “The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a $525 million civil penalty against Hino Motors and its U.S. subsidiaries. In late 2020, Hino paused U.S. truck production due to difficulty meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations. The following year, Hino announced that it would begin using Cummins engines in its heavy truck models because it was unable to meet emissons regulations with its proprietary engines. The fines resolve claims for falsified data for heavy-duty diesel engines, as well as related civil claims by the United States on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” [Heavy-Duty Trucking, 01/18/25 (=)]

 

Hino Motors to pay U.S. $1.6 billion for heavy-duty emissions. “Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors agreed to plead guilty and pay more than $1.6 billion to resolve alleged emissions fraud with its heavy-duty diesel engines. The U.S. government announced the settlement on Wednesday, stating that Hino submitted fraudulent engine emission and fuel consumption data to regulators, including the U.S. EPA and California. The government said that Hino used the fraudulent data to secure approvals for and sell more than 105,000 diesel engines from 2010 to 2022. The government said that EPA discovered the fraud as part of confirmatory testing of Hino’s engines. EPA estimated that Hino’s engine emitted more NOx, particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide than regulations allow. The agency on January 10 voided engine approvals for Hino’s 2010-2019 diesel engines—the largest voiding action ever taken by EPA.” [FleetOwner, 01/17/25 (=)]

 

 

Zero-Emission Truck Deployment Stalls. “While zero-emission truck adoption continues to grow when it comes to cargo vans, deployments of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks have remained flat for 18 months, according to Calstart. That’s according to the organization’s latest market update to its Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks series, looking at zero-emission commercial truck deployments in the United States as of June 2024. More than 42,500 zero-emission trucks are now deployed nationwide, a leap from 30,030 at the end of 2023, according to Calstart. However, of deployments since December 2023, the vast majority -- 88% -- are cargo vans, with 11,900 new vehicles.” [Heavy-Duty Trucking, 01/18/25 (=)]

 

Electric Truck News — Feds Say No To Tesla, California Rolls Back Electric Truck Rules. “The diesel engine has been a boon to humanity. Unfortunately, it also fills the air with climate killing pollution that creates health risks for those it benefits. An electric truck doesn’t leave oxides of nitrogen, fine particulates, or carbon dioxide in its wake and is far more efficient than diesel powered trucks. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that electric trucks have enormous batteries that need high-power charging equipment that can deliver 750 to 1000 kW of power to get them back on the road in a reasonable amount of time. Those charging hubs for trucks are few and far between, which is why in 2023 the federal government created the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Within CFI is a proposal called ‘Transport Electrification Supporting Semis Operating in Arizona, California, and Texas,’ or TESSERACT, that would construct nine charging stations for electric trucks along a route stretching from Fremont, California, down the coast of California to Compton before heading east to Phoenix, then along the southern border of the United States to Laredo, Texas.” [CleanTechnica, 01/18/25 (=)]

 

 

California

 

Diesel wins this round as CARB backs away from Advanced Clean Fleets rule. “The California Air Resource Board (CARB) has withdrawn its request to enact the proposed Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which required fleets that are ‘well-suited for electrification’ to reduce emissions through the phase-in of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and the banning of commercial diesel sales after 2035. The state of California submitted its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) request to the EPA, which would have required trucking fleets in the state to transition to zero-emission vehicles beginning last year, in November of 2023, spurring a number of drayage fleets and port operators to accelerate their adoption of electric trucks and encouraging manufacturers to route the bulk of their BEV manufacturing capacity to California. As the sun sets on the environmentally friendly Biden Administration, however, CARB is backing away from a fight with the incoming Trump Administration to enforce its state’s rights to enact emissions standards that are more strict than the federal regulations.” [Electrek, 01/18/25 (=)]

 

CARB Emissions Regulations step back on Advanced Clean Fleets. “The California Air Resources Board (CARB) withdrew requests for approval of the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule, part of CARB emissions regulations. The proposal would have implemented stringent emissions requirements for heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. Though it approves similar legislation for cars, the EPA had yet to grant a waiver for CARB’s commercial vehicle-focused requests. These proposals were expected to face opposition by president-elect Trump, when he takes office for his second term on Jan. 20. In a statement, CARB Chairperson Liane Randolph said, ‘While we are disappointed that U.S. EPA was unable to act on all the requests in time, the withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate and has said will continue to oppose those programs.’” [Fleet Equipment, 01/16/25 (=)]

 

California Air Resources Board Drops Bid to Enforce Advanced Clean Fleets Rule. “The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has withdrawn its request for an EPA waiver to enforce its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule. The withdrawal means CARB is now no longer seeking to enforce its zero emissions vehicle mandate on fleets. CARB withdrew its waiver request as part of its preparation for a drawn-out struggle with the incoming Trump Administration. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump spoke out against such mandates. Background Under the Clean Air Act, California has the unique freedom to set its own emissions standards that exceed EPA’s. However, CARB needs a waiver from EPA before it can enforce the regulations. The ACF is a controversial zero-emission vehicle mandate directly targeting fleets. The regulation requires certain fleets to phase-in zero-emission vehicles and, by 2036, requires manufacturers to only manufacture zero-emission trucks.” [Contractor, 01/17/25 (=)]

 

Trucking groups cheer California move to abandon zero-emission plan. “Trucking industry groups such as the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) are cheering California regulators’ move this week to end the campaign to require truck fleets to use zero-emission vehicles in the state. That effort was intended to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by mandating a transition from diesel-powered trucks to battery electric versions staged over a period of years. The plan included a provision that all trucks sold in California had to be zero emission by 2036 and that all trucks operated in the state had to be zero emission by 2042. However, California on Monday withdrew its petition for the Clean Air Act (CAA) waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation. According to NMFTA, the stated reasoning behind the decision to withdraw the waiver petition was because California officials assumed that incoming President Trump would deny the waiver once he took office.” [DC Velocity, 01/17/25 (=)]

 

West Virginia Attorney General McCuskey, multistate coalition score win over California’s electric-truck mandate. “West Virginia Attorney JB McCuskey, along with a coalition of 24 states led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, has scored a significant victory against California’s attempt to force trucking companies to go electric. California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation attempted to impose an electric-truck mandate on fleet owners, operators, and manufacturers—including trucking companies that drive one truck for as little as one day per year in California. The coalition of Attorneys General argued that the EPA and California was exceeding their statutory and regulatory authority trampling on states’ rights and disrupting the nation’s trucking and transportation industry.” [WVNews, 01/17/25 (-)]

 

Illinois

 

Huntley District 158 to buy electric buses, but switches supplier after company suspends Joliet operations. “Huntley Community School District 158 is getting four new electric buses but is switching companies to get them. According to district records, the school board approved the purchase of the buses from Canada-based Lion Electric in November. After the school board signed off, Lion Electric announced that it was suspending its Joliet operations. Lions also laid off 400 employees companywide. According to District 158 documents, the company shut down operations in Joliet, filed for the Canadian version of Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is looking to sell the business. District 158 officials worked with the school district’s attorney and requested the cancellation of the Lion Electric contract. The district cited Lion’s ‘inability’ to meet district needs, ‘which includes meeting the initial promised delivery date’ of July 31, according to district documents. … Each bus costs about $373,950, and an Illinois EPA grant is expected to cover about 75% of the costs. The remaining approximately $109,500 cost per bus is expected to be covered under a ComEd rebate, up to $450,000, according to district documents. The school district is anticipating a net-zero cost for the four buses through the grants and rebates.” [Daily Herald - Cook County, 01/20/25 (+)]

 

Illinois awards $100M for electric truck charging corridor, Tesla to get $40M. “In a move that’s expected to play a crucial role in supporting the transition to medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, $100 million of the Biden Administration’s last-minute $635M payout is headed to Illinois to help build out an electric truck charging corridor. While Tesla failed to secure funding for its heavy-duty electric truck chargers at the Federal level, Tesla was one of four companies – the others being Prologis, Gage Zero, and Pilot Flying J – that will be splitting the $100 million awarded by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s CFI program. Tesla is understood to have requested fully 40% of the $100MM award, with Prologis requesting $60 million, Gage Zero requesting $16 million, and Pilot requesting $10 million.” [Electrek, 01/18/25 (+)]

 

Massachusetts

 

EPA Will Finance 177 New Electric Buses for Mass. School Districts. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will give four Massachusetts school districts nearly $50 million to grow the Commonwealth’s fleet of electric school buses. The biggest grant – $35 million – will go to the City of Boston to replace 125 older diesel- and propane-powered buses with new electric models. The City of Springfield’s school system will receive $6.6 million for 25 electric buses, the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District in the North Shore suburbs of Boston will get $5 million for 17 buses, and the Hingham school district will get $3 million for 10 buses. According to an inventory by the World Resources Institute, there are currently 137 electric school buses operating in Massachusetts, and over 8,000 buses that burn fossil fuels (mostly diesel). The City of Boston currently has 40 electric school buses operating, representing about 5 percent of its fleet of 751 buses.” [mass.streetsblog.org, 01/20/25 (=)]

 

Boston clinches more than $35 million in federal climate funds days before Biden leaves office. “This week, two more federal grants were doled out to Boston under the climate-conscious federal administration. The first, for $35 million, will be used to purchase 125 electric school buses, which do not emit tailpipe pollution. The second, for $3 million, will accelerate the city’s projects to protect the coastline from sea level rise. ‘There’s so much that climate investment can do, and I think that in Boston, we’ve really shown under the Biden administration how much we’ve been able to do,’ said Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Boston’s Green New Deal director, during a press conference Thursday.” [The Boston Globe, 01/17/25 (+)]

 

Boston Public Schools Secure $35M EPA Grant for Electric Bus Fleet Expansion. “The City of Boston is advancing its environmental goals with a $35 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand the Boston Public Schools electric bus fleet. The grant will fund the purchase of 125 new 30-passenger electric buses. Mayor Michelle Wu said, ’This historic $35 million grant from the EPA brings us closer to achieving our goal of a fully electric school bus fleet by 2030 while delivering immediate health and environmental benefits to our students, families, and neighborhoods,’ according to the City of Boston. Boston’s school district is receiving a $35 million Environmental Protection Agency grant to expand its electric bus fleet, which currently has 40 buses. This funding will help replace old buses with zero-emission models and support the needed infrastructure.” [Hoodline, 01/17/25 (+)]

 

Boston to add 125 electric school buses with EPA grant. “A federal grant will allow the Boston Public Schools to add 125 new electric school buses to its fleet, more than three times the current number of electric buses. The $35 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help the school district toward its goal of a fully electric bus fleet by 2030.” [The Republican (MassLive), 01/17/25 (+)]

 

Boston schools will expand their electric bus fleet with $35 million grant. “Boston Public Schools this week received $35 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand its fleet of electric buses. With the grant, the district is closer to its goal of being fully electric by 2030. Speaking to reporters outside the BPS bus lot in Dorchester on Thursday, Boston Latin Academy senior Paulina Mendes Javier said the expansion will improve the city. ’The adoption of electric buses is more than just a technological upgrade. It’s a commitment to cleaner air, quieter streets and a healthier environment for generations to come,’ she said. BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper said the grant will pay for 125 new electric buses, more than tripling the district’s current fleet of 40. One electric bus costs about $320,000 — three times more than a traditional diesel bus. The district has a total of 740 buses, BPS officials said. Most are still diesel.” [WBUR-Radio, 01/17/25 (+)]

 

New Mexico

 

Funding for electric school buses could be coming to a school district near you. “Lawmakers are pushing to provide school districts throughout New Mexico financial support during the upcoming legislative session to replace their diesel school buses with zero emission alternative fuel ones. House Bill 32, introduced by Reps. Debra Sariñana (D-Albuquerque) and Tara Lujan (D-Santa Fe), would give New Mexico school districts the choice of replacing diesel school buses with electric or other alternative fuel buses. It would also require that the Public Education Department provide the districts with funding at least comparable to what it costs to purchase a diesel bus. State law requires that public school buses be replaced every 12 years. Public Education Department Spokesperson Martha Pincoffs said 198 buses will need to be replaced this fiscal year. ‘This is just one little thing we need to do to make sure we are helping climate change,’ Sariñana told Source. ‘Plus our kids, inhaling diesel when you get in a bus or around a bus is not good for them.’” [Source New Mexico, 01/17/25 (+)]

 

Ohio

 

Dayton School Department leads the charge in Maine with 100% electric bus program. “Beginning on Jan. 21, the Dayton School Department will operate a 100% electric bus fleet, becoming one of the largest majority-electric school bus districts in the state. By replacing all four of its diesel buses with new electric models, the district sets a benchmark for sustainability and environmental responsibility in school transportation. This achievement was made possible through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2022, the district applied for funding through the program and was awarded $1,500,000. These funds covered the purchase of Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric buses and Proterra level 3 charging stations, along with the installation of the chargers by a local electrician.” [sacobaynews.com, 01/17/25 (+)]

 

Washington

 

Op-Ed: Setting the record straight on Washingtons Advanced Clean Truck rule. According to Author(s), “While officials in Washington and Oregon both claim that they haven’t ‘banned’ new truck sales, they effectively have. Because manufacturers pay a penalty and take the regulation seriously, the only way they can ensure compliance is to have dealers first show evidence of a compliant ZEV sale before allowing a corresponding diesel or internal combustion engine order. Regulators seem to now blame manufacturers for attempting to comply with their regulations. To be clear, manufacturers want to build trucks and we want to sell them regardless of how they’re powered. But now we’re a dealership with no trucks to sell. Many of us pointed out the folly of tying ourselves to a highly ideological California regulatory board solving for a different set of challenges in the most radical way possible. We are now completely reliant on CARB for any changes or implementation delays. Given recent tragic fires in SoCal, it seems they will likely be even more preoccupied with local issues than states outside their purview. Washington lawmakers are handing a huge competitive advantage to other states not subject to these unreachable targets. Ironically, forcing fleets to forgo sales on new cleaner ICE vehicles will extend the life of older trucks in their fleets, assuring higher emissions than if we hadn’t lashed ourselves to California’s radical approach. It’s time to face reality and put control back in the hands of lawmakers and regulatory agencies accountable to Washingtonians.” [Everett Post / KRKO-Radio / KXA, 01/20/25 (-)]

 

 

Just A Reminder: Reducing Pollution Is ALWAYS The Smart Economic Choice. “With that in mind, let’s look at a new data point on the climate fight. California state officials have made the decision to give up on proposed regulations that would have ended the sale of new diesel-powered heavy trucks by 2036. The state also dropped its request to the Environmental Protection Agency to approve three other regulations that would have sharply cut use of diesel fuel for railroad locomotives, commercial harbor craft, and those refrigeration units on trucks and rail cars what haul cold stuff. When I saw the headline about the decision, my first thought was, No! Don’t comply in advance! But the decision was a bit more nuanced: California isn’t simply giving up on emissions reductions because Trump would kill them. Rather, it aims to preserve its option to bring the regulations back in some saner future. California has authority under the 1973 Clean Air Act to set stricter air quality standards than those set by the federal government. But each new stronger standard requires a waiver from the EPA. Until Donald Trump’s first term, EPA approval was routine, but Trump attempted to rescind California’s special status, a policy reversed by Joe Biden.” [Wonkette, 01/18/25 (+)]

 

 

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