Routinely cited as a politically-charged publication, The Washington Post recently published an Op-Ed denouncing California’s extreme zero-emissions truck policy and Pres. Joe Biden’s aiding and abetting of the new rules. It has been widely reported that California allowed an unelected body to create clean air policies that largely target the freight transportation industry.
What truckers, or the general public, may not know is that the so-called “Advanced Truck Rule” that bans diesel trucks was given a waiver by the Biden Administration’s EPA. This means the Golden State can impose its regulations on interstate trucking operations. It was no surprise that the American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently blasted the diesel truck bans, but now a media outlet steeped in the left-wing platform cried foul.
“It would be one thing if residents of those states bore the burden of such policies, but that won’t be the case. Zero-emission heavy trucks can cost as much as $120,000 more than a comparable diesel-fueled model,” Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen states. “That means trucking companies will either have to increase the prices they charge — if they can pass such costs onto consumers at all — or receive massive public subsidies. Either way, Americans across the country will pay.”
After essentially outlawing independent trucking operations with its AB5 law, is anyone really surprised the West Coast state would craft regulations that send costs through the roof. But Pres. Biden allowing the EPA to back the measure has thrown fuel on the fire. As Olsen points out, 14 other states and the District f Columbia have passed similar measures. The worst fears regarding the spread of AB5 laws are coming true with the anti-diesel rules.
The ATA’s Andrew Boyle recently went before Congress to deliver some hard facts about the debilitating cost of abruptly transitioning to zero-emissions semi-trucks.
“Today, a clean diesel truck can spend 15 minutes fueling anywhere in the country and then travel about 1,200 miles before fueling again. In contrast, today’s long-haul battery-electric trucks have a range of about 150-330 miles and can take up to 10 hours to charge,” Boyle reportedly stated. “Trucking is not averse to challenges, but we cannot overcome the challenges that lawmakers choose to ignore.”
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/20/california-trucking-zero-emissions-costs/
https://www.electrictrucksnow.com/states
https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/heavy-dose-reality-electric-truck-mandates
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