"In a move that will transform California’s economy and end diesel’s decades-long dominance in goods movement, the Air Resources Board today unanimously approved an ambitious, contentious mandate to shift big rigs and other trucks to zero-emissions.

California’s newest effort to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles is arguably one of the most meaningful steps the state has ever taken to clean up its severe smog and toxic diesel exhaust, reduce greenhouse gases and wean itself off fossil fuels.

The mandate is the first in the world to ban new diesel trucks and require a switch to zero-emission big rigs, garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

The rules will dramatically change the commercial trucks that are driven on California’s roads, affecting about 1.8 million trucks, including ones operated by the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS and Amazon."

Nadia Lopez reports for CalMatters April 28, 2023. [2]