Wyoming Joins 17 States To Block California Electric Truck Rule

Wyoming has joined a 17-state coalition led by Nebraska in suing California for creating ZEV standards for trucking fleets.

Requirement: Any new truck fleet operators buy must be a ZEV starting in January 2024. Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles must be retired when they have been in use for 13 years, have traveled more than 800,000 miles, or are more than 18 years old.

The suit says that the state’s rule violates the Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

You can read the full lawsuit at this link.

California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation requires that heavy-duty big rigs be what they call zero emission by 2042.

But when we look at how electric vehicles are charged we find that there is no such thing as "zero emissions."

Despite that the regulatory agency known as The California Air Resources Board, (CARB) banned the sale of internal combustion light vehicles, including cars, in 2035, and of bigger trucks starting in 2036.

CARB wrote this law even though they are not a law-making body.

“With California’s international ports being a hub for much of the nation’s imports, they could disrupt the supply chain, slow transport of goods, and raise prices,” says the lawsuit. “While California can regulate emissions, they cannot regulate the emissions of vehicles moving from state-to-state without the approval of Congress under the Congressional Commerce Clause.”

37% of all American imports and 22% of exports go through the Port of Los Angeles.

Advanced Clean Fleets significant costs will force some fleet companies out of business or out of the Nation’s largest State, which will strain the supply chain across the United States, the lawsuit continues.

These states must prove to the court that they have "standing."

That means that they can show that the California law will hurt their states.

Wyoming and the 16 other states claim standing due to harm to tax revenue, harm to roads from heavier battery-electric trucks, increased demand for electricity to charge such trucks that the states can't meet, and threats to states’ sovereign economic interests.

“I'm suing California to stand up for Iowa truckers,” said Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in a statement.

“One out of 13 Iowans works in trucking.

And unlike California, we support our truckers.

I am suing to hit the brakes on California's unrealistic electric-semi mandate that will kill jobs, crush our supply chain, hurt farmers, and wipe out the American trucking industry as we know it.

California does not get to tell Iowa truckers what to do.”

The lawsuit seeks relief via injunction due to unconstitutionality under the Commerce Clause.

There should be a hearing this summer.