In an effort to protect the American way of life, a business lobby group with ties to former Attorney General Bill Barr has filed a lawsuit against California over rules aimed at phasing out gas-powered trucks in the state. The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce brought the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Tuesday.
Gentry Collins, CEO of the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, stated that he believes California’s attempt to ban liquid fuels and internal combustion engines is poor climate policy and a threat to freedom and choice. The lawsuit also received support from Associated Equipment Distributors, who argue that California violated the Clean Air Act by implementing a rule stricter than the federal standard without obtaining a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency.
California introduced a rule last year that would increase the percentage of electric trucks sold in the state over ten years from 2024 to 2035. The rule requires short-haul trucks to be zero-emissions by 2035 and for half of heavy-duty vehicle purchases by state and local governments to be zero-emissions this year. This rule could be adopted by other states as more than a dozen have already adopted California standards for low-emission and zero-emission vehicles.
In addition, California has outlined a timeline for phasing out internal combustion medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2036. The rule has received approval from the Biden administration and would require fleet owners to ensure their trucks are zero-emission by 2042. It remains unclear what impact this lawsuit will have on these rules, but it is clear that businesses are fighting back against regulations that they believe will harm their bottom line and their customers’ choices.
