WA. truckers are concerned about CA. Emission standards.
WA. truckers are concerned about CA. Emission standards.
The Washington State trucking industry is a little upset that they may have to comply with California emission standards that have been adopted by Washington state.
According to thecentersquare.com,
‘Under California’s Advanced Clean Trucks program, the trucking industry must progressively transition to zero emissions for medium and heavy-duty trucks. Starting next year, zero emission vehicles must make up 7% of all Class 2b-3 truck and Class 7-8 tractor sales, while Class 4-8 truck sales must be 11% zero emission vehicles.’
The thing to keep in mind here is that those numbers are for new truck purchases, not for existing fleets. Washington truckers are saying that this could be detrimental to the supply chain.
The Washington Trucking Association asserts that the buying cycle for a new truck can be up to two years. So, for instance, today truckers are planning on a new purchase sometime in 2026. A new diesel semi can range in price from 100.000 to $200,000. If you're going electric, the price can range anywhere from 150.000 to $400,000 or even more. It's interesting to note that the Tesla Semi comes in at the low end of that spectrum. Currently, The model with 500 miles of range pencils out at approximately $180,000.
They also make the point that California has been working on decarbonization for decades and are more prepared for this action. Washington state is not.
Charging infrastructure is key to any electric vehicle and it is even more important for electric Semi trucks. High speed DC charging stations specifically designed for trucking are necessary. (And they aren't cheap to build)
Another possibility is using semi tractor trailer rigs with hydrogen fuel cell technology, basically an electric vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Currently, there's even less infrastructure for that, but Douglas County is working towards helping in that direction with their hydrogen fuel facility.
Right now, it doesn't seem that there's a compromise possible, but let's hope there is. The Washington state Trucking industry is an integral part of our commercial success.
Washington truckers warn California emissions policy threatens supply chain | Washington | thecentersquare.com
WTA-Advanced-Clean-Trucks-letter_final.pdf (watrucking.org)
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