Ford, GM, Other Truck Makers Unite With California Regulator To Clear The Air With 2045 Zero-Emission Pledge

A California state agency aiming to regulate air pollution on Thursday announced a partnership with several truck and engine manufacturers for the development of zero-emission vehicles.

What Happened: Under the partnership, truck makers committed to adopting zero-emission tech in the state and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) agreed to reasonable lead time to meet its emission requirements and also before imposing further regulation.

The partnership includes Cummins Inc CMI, Daimler Truck North America, Ford Motor Company F, General Motors Company GM, Hino Motors Ltd HINOY, Izuzu Technical Center of America, Navistar, Stellantis N.V. STLA, Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, and Volvo Group North America.

Under the new partnership, CARB agreed to provide a lead time of four years and three years of regulatory stability before imposing further requirements. The state plans to move to 100% sales and use of zero-emissions technology for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045.

“Through this agreement, we have aligned on a single nationwide nitrogen oxide emissions standard, secured needed lead time and stability for manufacturers, and agreed on regulatory changes that will ensure continued availability of commercial vehicles,” Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA)  President Jed Mandel said.

Why It Matters: The state of California became the first to require zero-emission technology for trucks in March.

As per a study from Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology, electricity can be a more cost-effective option than diesel for heavy-duty vehicles. However, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, projects that trucks will represent 69% of all vehicles by 2050, with electric trucks accounting for less than 10% of the total.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Read More: Elon Musk Admits Getting Past FSD Predictions Wrong But Says Tesla Closer To It ‘Than We Have Ever Been’

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