CARB at it again

Diesel motorhome sales will be halted in California and five other states starting next year due to a new climate regulation from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), according to RVtravel. Under CARB’s revised Advanced Clean Truck regulations, vehicles weighing over 8,500 pounds must meet zero-emission standards, impacting motorhome sales in California, Washington, Oregon, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Motorhome owners in these states will also be unable to register non-compliant vehicles, effectively banning new diesel-powered RVs that do not meet the updated emission criteria.

This regulation is part of California’s broader push for green energy policies, which include recent legal action against oil companies over climate damages and a corporate emissions disclosure mandate. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption through policies like a strict tailpipe emissions rule proposed in March and a nationwide EV charging network initiative, though both efforts have faced implementation challenges. American automakers have shown hesitation in expanding EV production, citing low consumer demand and challenging regulatory standards.

Diesel motorhome sales are set to be halted in several states at the start of next year due to a new climate rule from California being enacted, according to RVtravel.

Motorhome sales are being prevented in California, Washington, Oregon, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey if the vehicles do not meet certain emission requirements based on regulations from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), according to RVtravel. CARB amended its Advanced Clean Truck regulations on Oct. 24, which requires all vehicles over 8,500 pounds to produce zero emissions.

Motorhome owners in the six states will not be allowed to register a recreational vehicle (RV) that is not in compliance with the climate regulation, according to RVtravel.

California has enacted various green energy policies in recent years, including filing a major lawsuit against Chevron and other oil companies seeking climate change damages in September 2023 and enacting a landmark corporate emissions disclosure requirement in October 2023. The state has seen drastically higher gas prices amid its policies and regulations aimed at cracking down on fuel refiners.

The Biden-Harris administration has rolled out various electric vehicle (EV) policies as part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda, including introducing a strict tailpipe emissions rule in March that would require about 67% of all light-duty vehicles sold after 2032 to be EVs or hybrids. The president has been leading a push to build 500,000 public EV chargers nationwide by 2030, but the initiative has so far been majorly delayed.

Various American automakers have scaled back EV-related plans amid a lack of consumer demand. Toyota’s North American Chief Operating Officer Jack Hollis recently criticized policies promoting EV adoption, citing “impossible” standards.

CARB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.