A recently-proposed regulation by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) would require state and local government fleets to phase in medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles starting January 1, 2024. This proposed regulation also sets a clear end date for new internal combustion-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales in California. Affected special districts may submit comments by October 17, 2022 and attend the scheduled public hearing on October 27.
On August 30, 2022, the staff of CARB released a Proposed Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation, or "proposed AFC regulation" with the purpose of contributing to the State's criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas reduction goals in addition to cleaner technology targets needing to protect communities.
General requirements for local governments, including special districts, would mandate fleet owners to add zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) to their California fleet as specified by the following schedule:
- Agencies in Non-Designated Counties. For a state or local government agency whose jurisdiction is not in a designated low population county:
(A) Starting January 1, 2024, 50 percent of the total number of vehicle additions to the California fleet in each calendar year must be ZEVs; and
(B) Starting January 1, 2027, 100 percent of the total number of vehicle additions to the California fleet in each calendar year must be ZEVs.
2. Agencies in Designated Low-Population Counties. For a state or local government agency whose jurisdiction is solely in a designated low population county:
(A) Starting January 1, 2027, 100 percent of the total number of vehicle additions to the California fleet in each calendar year must be ZEVs.
“Designated low population counties” means the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yuba.
The state and local government agency fleet requirements will be applied to California cities, counties, public utilities special districts, local agencies, or districts, and State government agencies owning vehicles from Class 2b to Class 8. However, this regulation is part of a larger approach to expedite a large-scale transition to zero-emission for all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles ranging from Class 2b to Class 8. Class 2b vehicles are trucks that weigh between 8,500 – 10,000 pounds fully loaded as classified by the Federal Highway Administration. Class 8 vehicles are vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeding 33,000 pounds.
Further applications include high priority and federal fleets – any fleet owner who, “owns, operates, or directs 50 or more Class 2b-8 vehicles,” – and drayage trucks – Class 7-8 heavy-duty trucks transporting break-bulk, bulk, or containerized goods, empty containers, or chassis’ to and from California’s intermodal seaports and railyards.
According to CARB, local government fleets make up roughly 81 percent of California's public fleet and all local government fleets will be subject to the proposed ACF regulation with requirements for most fleets beginning in 2024, with estimated upfront and operational costs exceeding $100 million by 2024.
There are some exemptions to the proposed regulation, including compliance exemptions for backup vehicles, daily usage, zero-emission vehicle unavailability, infrastructure construction delays, and mutual aid assistance, however, annual reporting and recordkeeping would be required starting April 1, 2024.
How to engage in CARB’s public hearing process
CARB has already held initial workshops working with interested parties and providing a period for public comment to comply with the Administrative Procedures Act. The public hearing to consider proposed advanced clean fleets regulation will be heard on October 27, 2022 at the Byron Sher Auditorium at 9:00 A.M. A notice of the public hearing can be found here.
Should your special district want to comment on the proposed regulation, you can do so in person at the public hearing. If not in person, written comments must be submitted no later than October 17, 2022. Please share a copy of your comments and send any questions you may have, to CSDA Legislative Analyst Cole Querry at coleq@csda.net.
CARB encourages members of the public to bring to the attention of staff in advance of the hearing any suggestions for modification of the proposed regulatory action. Comments submitted in advance of the hearing must be addressed to one of the following:
- Postal mail: Clerks’ Office, California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Gov. Code, § 6250 et seq.), written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your 1 address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request. Additionally, the Board requests but does not require that persons who submit written comments to the Board reference the title of the proposed regulation in their comments to facilitate review.
To learn more about CARB and the Advanced Clean Fleets program, visit Advanced Clean Fleets | California Air Resources Board.
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