On April 28, 2023, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a sweeping rulemaking package mandating zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) purchases for commercial vehicles beginning in 2024. The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rulemaking package applies to state and local government fleets, fleets operated by large corporations, federal government fleets, and individual drayage trucks operating in California’s intermodal system. The state and local government requirements begin January 1, 2024, and require 50 percent of all new vehicle purchases to be either ZEV or near-ZEV (plug-in hybrid) for most counties, and 100 percent of new purchases beginning January 1, 2027. Members of the Board acknowledged potential challenges with the state’s electrical grid and urged utilities to rise to the occasion to enable the regulatory package to be successful.
The package includes several exemptions that were not included in the initial final draft proposed in October 2022 to address concerns raised by RCRC and other stakeholders regarding future vehicle and charging infrastructure availability. The Board added a 2025 update on the use of renewable natural gas to meet mandates established in Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, 2016) to meet the state’s methane emissions reductions goals. Staff will also be required to update the Board on implementation progress in 2028, with adjustments to be made accordingly as implementation challenges arise. The final ACF rule can be viewed on CARB’s website.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.