4 Top Truck Makers Sue CARB, Newsom Over Emissions Rules
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Four major truck makers have filed a federal lawsuit against the , claiming that recent federal directives override state-level emissions regulations that leaders there continue pushing OEMs to follow.
Daimler Truck North America, International Motors, Paccar Inc. and Volvo Group North America argue the California agency is unlawfully pursuing emissions standards that were essentially vacated in June, when President Donald Trump reversed a waiver issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that allowed California to set its own emissions limits. The OEMs now maintain that this action prevents California from continuing to require them to follow a set of rules adopted by the state that differ from federal requirements elsewhere in the country.
“The OEMs are in an impossible position,” according to the lawsuit. “On the one hand, California insists that plaintiff OEMs must follow CARB’s standards, including CARB’s truck and engine certification requirements, or be excluded from the California market, subjected to significant civil penalties, shut out of special considerations and flexibilities in future regulatory considerations, and excluded from state purchasing and incentive programs."
“On the other hand," per the lawsuit, "the United States Department of Justice has issued cease-and-desist letters to plaintiff OEMs stating that those same standards are invalid and unlawful, such that only the EPA regulations apply, and that the cornerstone of CARB’s new enforcement efforts, the Clean Truck Partnership, is itself pre-empted by federal law.”
The Clean Truck Partnership, unveiled in July 2023, is an agreement signed by the four plaintiff OEMs and other industry stakeholders — including the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association — under which the parties agreed to follow California’s emissions regulations in exchange for certain concessions. Now, due to differing guidance from the federal government and the state agency, the plaintiff OEMs maintain they have been “irreparably harmed by this uncertainty.”
The original equipment manufacturers claim California is using as its authority for its action the 2023 Clean Truck Partnership and a recent executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). However, included in the lawsuit is a letter to DTNA from the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Justice that concluded, “because CARB’s regulations are pre-empted, the Clean Truck Partnership is pre-empted and unlawful. You must therefore immediately cease and desist your compliance with both the Clean Truck Partnership and its pre-empted state vehicle emission regulations.”
“Plaintiffs are caught in the crossfire,” the lawsuit claims. “California demands that OEMs follow pre-empted laws; the United States maintains such laws are illegal and orders OEMs to disregard them. This situation is not tenable.”
Trucks and other vehicles on Interstate 905 in San Diego. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)
Trump’s June actions formally rolled back a Biden-era emissions policy that permitted California wide leeway in setting its own transportation emissions rules.
Arguing that California had been carrying out an electric vehicle mandate, Trump enacted procedural measures to undo certain waivers granted by EPA to the state. The enactment of these resolutions blocked California from proceeding with electrification rules specific to commercial trucks and commuter cars, as well as rules that set higher standards for heavy-duty diesel engines. The state had announced a determined push for a zero-emission goal in the marketplace long criticized by industry firms and freight stakeholders.
was among the groups in June praising Trump’s enactment of the procedural resolutions specific to California. As ATA President put it, “This is not the United States of California. With the stroke of his pen, President Trump is restoring the certainty that the trucking industry needs to deliver for our nation as we continue to reduce our environmental impact.”
Per background information from ATA, it takes about 15 minutes to fuel a diesel truck to go 1,200 miles. Conversely, it takes six to eight hours to charge an electric truck that can at most travel 200 miles on a single charge. ATA noted that as part of the California framework, “More trucks would be needed to move the same amount of freight, at a much slower rate, while in search of nonexistent charging locations.”
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