This week on Tuesday (8th), the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) filed a lawsuit in the federal court against California’s mandate to enforce electric vehicle regulations, claiming that California’s 100% electric vehicle plan exceeds its constitutional authority.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, seeking an immediate injunction and remedies to prevent the California Air Resources Board (CARB) from implementing its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation. The regulation mandates that only zero-emission vehicles can operate within California regardless of where the trucks are purchased or registered.
According to the ACF regulation, truck owners are required to transition their vehicles to zero-emission trucks starting in 2024, gradually phasing out the sales of medium and heavy-duty fuel trucks. By 2035, 2040, or 2045, depending on the size and type of the trucks, fleets operating in California must achieve 100% electric vehicle operation.
The lawsuit argues that CARB’s actions far exceed the powers granted by the California Constitution and state laws, and will have a devastating impact on the future of the U.S. automotive industry. The regulations impose strict limitations on the majority of heavy transportation companies, including heavy-duty tractors with sleeper cabs, work trucks, pickup trucks, and light package delivery vehicles. Therefore, the lawsuit highlights an unprecedented necessity.
The lawsuit states that these regulations will have punitive effects on California operators, and out-of-state trucks will struggle to enter the California market, “interstate motor carriers and others without CARB-compliant vehicles will be barred from operating within the largest single-state economy in the U.S.”
SEMA is a leading advocate for global automotive culture, representing over 7,000 member companies that manufacture, buy, sell, and use specialty automotive parts. This industry supports 1.3 million jobs nationwide and generates approximately $52.3 billion in annual parts sales.
“The overreach by California forces the automotive industry to take action, and legal action is necessary to protect the interests of thousands of aftermarket automotive companies, whose $337 billion in annual economic impact contributes to driving our nation’s economy,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “California’s illegal method of unbalancing the board by only supporting one technology greatly harms the interests of numerous small businesses in America and sets a precedent that threatens the American people.”
Established in 1964, NTEA represents over 2,100 companies involved in the manufacturing, distribution, installation, sales, and servicing of commercial vehicles, truck bodies, truck equipment, trailers, and accessories. The association states that many trucks crucial for executing key missions (such as emergency vehicles and multi-purpose trucks) are specifically designed for emergencies like storms, snow disasters, and fires; excessive reliance on electric vehicles could lead to shortened response times, failure to clear debris, and longer wire drop times.
“Work trucks must be available, powerful, and affordable, and it’s crucial to adopt reasonable and cost-effective methods to achieve desired outcomes so that businesses can continue to manufacture and supply crucial vehicles,” said NTEA President and CEO Steve Carey. “Without control, California’s current series of regulations will severely undermine the ability of work truck users to obtain the necessary vehicles, making it difficult for them to efficiently perform essential tasks and support ongoing business operations.”
Furthermore, both SEMA and NTEA associations emphasize that they do not oppose the use of electric vehicles but do not approve of excessive reliance on government to promote a single technology. They firmly believe that a technology-neutral approach is the best way to reduce vehicle emissions, while “California is undermining other potential solutions.”