California moves to ban sale of diesel big rigs by 2036

April 28 (UPI) -- On Friday, California regulators banned the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and also passed new rules requiring all trucks be zero-emission vehicles by 2042.

The Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which is the first in the world to require new commercial trucks, including garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles, to be electric, was unanimously approved by the California Air Resources Board.

"This is an absolutely transformative rule to clean our air and mitigate climate change," said Liane Randolph, chair of the board, according to The Mercury News.

Environmental groups praised the new rules as an important step in reducing air pollutants, which impact low-income neighborhoods and families who live near the freeways.

"I don't think there's been a single rule where we haven't heard the technology isn't ready, the costs are too great, or that it's not the right time," Will Barrett, national senior director of air advocacy for the American Lung Association said. "But the urgency of cleaning our air and confronting the climate crisis can't wait."

Industry groups criticized the decision, even though the new rules affect only 7 percent of the vehicles on California's roads.

"CARB has outright ignored the nation's leading fleets and has put forth an overly ambitious, unrealistic, and unfeasible proposal," said Eric Sauer, CEO of the California Trucking Association.

Sauer said the new rules "will guarantee a complete dismantling of our state's trucking industry and have detrimental effect on goods movement and the entire supply chain."