Members of Congress thanked for leadership on ‘common sense emissions standards on heavy-duty trucks’

Yesterday, Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter signed by 32 Members of Congress to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan expressing concerns with the Agency’s flawed “Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3” rulemaking.

The proposed rule would drastically reduce GHG emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles delivered in model years 2027-2032 without proper consideration of cost, vehicle reliability, and EV infrastructure. Currently, electric or alternatively-fueled trucks are less than 1% of heavy-duty trucks sold. The rule mandates electric or alternatively-fueled trucks to make up 50% of vocational vehicles, 34% of day cabs, and 25% of sleepers by 2032.

The letter states that the proposed rulemaking “will fundamentally transform the truck industry and should more fully take into consideration the affordability of future heavy-duty trucks and the ability of our nation’s commercial charging infrastructure to support the upcoming demand in its effort to drive modernization of America’s aging truck fleet.”

“Business customers will not purchase heavy-duty trucks they cannot afford, charge, or that otherwise do not meet their needs,” the letter continues. “We ask that you carefully consider these concerns and take the time needed to ensure any rule appropriately reflects the possible ramifications for such an important sector of the economy.”

“America’s truck dealers thank Reps. LaMalfa, Pappas, and their colleagues who signed this letter for their leadership urging the EPA to advance environmental goals at the right speed,” said ATD Chairman Scott McCandless, who is also President of McCandless Truck Center LLC of Aurora, Colo. “We all want cleaner and greener trucks, but reducing emissions requires more than just setting new standards. The EPA must provide adequate lead times across all market segments to decrease the cost of innovative technologies, and allow customers and governments adequate time to make critical infrastructure investments.”