Just minutes after President Donald Trump signed a trio of resolutions that that ended California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) electric vehicle mandates and strict diesel-emissions standards, the state doubled down on its commitment to clean cars and trucks.
Governor Gavin Newsom Thursday afternoon signed an executive order further advancing California’s clean vehicle transition and kickstarting development of next-generation policy to spur innovation, updating state vehicle purchasing requirements, and directing the state to develop new actions to accelerate affordable clean vehicle adoption.
While President Trump revoked the waivers that enacted CARB's Heavy-Duty Omnibus Low-NOx and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations Thursday, the state retains its right to develop and implement similar legislation as long as it's not substantially the same.
ACT, which has been adopted by 11 states to date, requires medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturers to sell increasing percentages of zero-emission vehicles from 2024-2035. The Low-NOx rule, which has been adopted by 10 states, imposes stringent emissions standards on new diesel truck sales.
In his order, Newsom directed CARB to "develop and propose an Advanced Clean Cars III regulation consistent with State and federal law, that reduces greenhouse gas, criteria air pollutant, and toxic emissions from passenger cars and light-duty trucks, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, to advance progress towards the deployment of clean air vehicles and technologies in the State, as an additional measure to build on existing regulations or as an alternative measure for deployment if the federal disapprovals of the Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Heavy-Duty Omnibus regulations are not invalidated in court."
Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by CARB and 10 other attorneys general representing their states, are suing the federal government “for its unlawful use of the Congressional Review Act to attack California’s Clean Vehicles Program.”
Newsom in his order Thursday also pointed to the state's Clean Truck Partnership (CTP) agreement with heavy truck manufacturers "that will require the sale and adoption of zero-emissions technology in California, regardless of the outcome of any change in law concerning California’s authority to implement its more stringent emissions standards under the federal Clean Air Act." Newsom further called for progress reports on the CTP every 60 days.
"Any truck manufacturers who thought California was off the board were just proven wrong," said Craig Segall, who as deputy executive officer at the California Air Resources Board helped write California's clean truck rules. "It’s time for them to finally behave accordingly and bring cheap powerful EV trucks to market at scale.”
The most immediate impact could be the state's truck dealers as Newsom's order also calls for CARB to identify, maintain and update publicly available lists of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers that continue to certify and follow the requirements of the ACT and Omnibus regulations, or requirements agreed to as part of any agreements between such manufacturer and the California Air Resources Board.
Newsom directed to Department of General Services to update its vehicle manufacturer purchasing restriction list to align with the list and assess "any additional opportunities to prioritize these manufacturers in government vehicle procurement decisions," adding that incentive programs that support the purchase of zero-emission vehicles shall prioritize funding for the listed manufacturers and fleets.
