Now Inslee Wants Washington to Ban Diesel Trucks

First it was adopting California's regulations, then moving to ban gas powered cars. Now, this new move by California could force Washington to ban diesel trucks also.

What is In the California Diesel Truck Ban Proposal?

The proposal says "manufacturers couldn’t sell new medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks fueled by diesel or gasoline that operate in California, instead turning to electric models. In addition, large trucking companies would have to gradually convert their existing fleets to zero-emission vehicles, buying more over time until all are zero emissions by 2042" according to news reports.

What Does the Data in the Study Say?

The summery of the study starts out "Mobile sources and the fossil fuels that power them are the largest contributors in California to the formation of ozone, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and toxic diesel particulate matter (PM). In the State, the transportation sector alone accounts for 41 percent of total GHG emissions (50 percent when upstream emissions from fuel is included) and is a major contributor to oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and PM emissions."

How does this affect Washington State?

When Washington passed a law forcing Washington to follow California's regulations in 2020, it seemed like no big deal. Now that law if forcing Washington to adopt California's proposed ban on new diesel trucks by 2040. This could have a huge impact on our State with no real solutions on how to replace all the jobs that diesel trucks do. What do truckers think about this proposal by California and Washington?

What the California Trucking Association Says

"We’re flying blind into some pretty major questions about the practicality of actually implementing this rule" says Chris Shimoda from the California Trucking Association. He is right because "72 percent of the trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating 10,001 and above sold in the United States in 2013 were diesel-powered, up from 69 percent in 2009" according to US Bureau of Transportation statistics. Truckers are worried multiple problems with the ban including the high price of trucks, their limited range, and the lack of charging stations.

When Will California Vote to Ban Diesel Trucks?

The California Air Resource Board is considering the proposal at the end of the month on October 27, 2022. We will find out soon if Washington will be forced to follow. You can read the entire proposal here.