MONTGOMERY, AL — California has agreed to repeal its electric-truck regulations, known as the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, following a legal challenge brought by a coalition of 17 states and the Nebraska Trucking Association. The settlement, announced Tuesday by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, marks the end of California’s effort to impose stricter emissions standards on commercial truck fleets, including those based outside the state but operating within its borders.
The Advanced Clean Fleets regulation, developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), sought to mandate the phaseout of internal-combustion engine trucks in favor of electric alternatives. It required affected fleets to begin transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, with significant deadlines for retirement of diesel trucks and investments in electric infrastructure. The regulation applied to fleets operating in California regardless of where they were headquartered.
Opponents argued that the mandate would have had wide-reaching impacts on interstate commerce, especially due to California’s role as a major logistics hub with access to international ports. Critics also raised concerns about the economic burden of compliance, citing the high cost of electric trucks and associated infrastructure.
Under the terms of the settlement, California has agreed not to enforce the Advanced Clean Fleets rule and to initiate formal rulemaking to repeal it. Additionally, state regulators acknowledged they cannot enforce the state’s planned 2036 ban on the sale of internal-combustion trucks unless the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants a Clean Air Act preemption waiver.
Attorney General Marshall, who joined a 24-state coalition opposing California’s waiver request in a related case, issued a statement following the announcement: “California doesn’t get to run the country. Their reckless attempt to force a costly and unworkable electric-truck mandate on businesses nationwide was unlawful and would have been economically disastrous.”
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and included support from the attorneys general of Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The Arizona State Legislature and the Nebraska Trucking Association were also parties to the challenge.
Supporters of the legal challenge characterized the outcome as a victory for supply chain stability and state autonomy, while environmental groups have yet to publicly respond to the agreement.
The future of California’s broader climate policy goals, including emissions reductions in the transportation sector, may hinge on future regulatory actions and federal decisions, particularly regarding the EPA’s authority to grant or deny waivers under the Clean Air Act.
