Massachusetts delays rules forcing sales of electric trucks
Shortly after Maryland decided to halt Advanced Clean Trucks, Massachusetts is doing the same – making it the first state to do so that was set to implement the new rules this year.
On April 14, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection announced it will exercise “enforcement discretion” that effectively puts a two-year delay on Advanced Clean Trucks requirements for manufacturers. New zero-emission truck sales rules for truck manufacturers in the Bay State began this year.
Advanced Clean Trucks requires truck manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks through model year 2035. In Massachusetts, 7% of all Class 7-8 model year 2025 truck sales were to be zero-emission vehicles, ramping up to 40% by 2032.
In addition to California, 10 other states have adopted Advanced Clean Trucks. Although some states opted to begin the new rules with model year 2027 trucks, five states began implementing the sales requirements this year: Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington state.
Trucking stakeholders in the five states starting Advanced Clean Trucks this year have been urging state lawmakers and regulators to at least pause the new rules. Dealerships have had to cancel orders of diesel trucks, as they are unable to meet the zero-emission truck sales requirements necessary to purchase them.
Massachusetts is giving manufacturers – and by extension, dealerships – some relief by not enforcing action against them if they cannot meet model year 2025-26 Advanced Clean Trucks sales obligations.
There is one condition: Manufacturers must supply internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles without restriction to those seeking them. In other words, manufacturers cannot withhold or ration diesel trucks from dealers.
In a statement, the Trucking Association of Massachusetts said it appreciates the efforts by Gov. Maura Healey’s administration to address the significant impact Advanced Clean Trucks has had on businesses, municipalities and residents in the state.
“Given the current lack of necessary technology and infrastructure to support a transition to medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks in Massachusetts, the ACT rule, as it is implemented, has hindered emissions reduction efforts and impeded the ability of our private and public sectors to acquire the trucks they require,” the association said. “Our hope is that going forward, today’s DEP decision encourages all stakeholders to work together to develop practical and attainable strategies for working towards the additional reduction of emissions from the transportation sector.”
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s enforcement discretion notice is similar to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s executive order issued 10 days prior. When issuing his Advanced Clean Trucks enforcement delay, Moore cited President Donald Trump’s decision to pull funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the reason. Massachusetts did the same.
“While manufacturers were involved in developing the ACT framework, they now indicate that ACT requirements are too difficult to meet,” the Massachusetts Department of Transportation stated in the notice. “Some manufacturers are limiting ICE truck sales as a means to ensure their compliance with ACT sales requirements, reducing availability to a wide range of users. Further, the current federal administration has created significant uncertainty around ZEV incentives, charging investments, manufacturing and tariffs, each of which threaten a smooth transition to medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs.”
Stakeholders and lawmakers in the other four states set to implement Advanced Clean Trucks this year also have been trying to get at least a two-year delay.
In February, an Oregon House committee held a hearing for a bill that would prohibit the state from implementing Advanced Clean Trucks before Jan. 1, 2027. On Friday, April 17, the Trucking Association of New York hosted a webinar highlighting the trucking industry’s commitment to reducing emission should the state decide to delay Advanced Clean Trucks.
“We have repeatedly mentioned the financial implications ACT is already having on the industry: lost jobs, closed businesses and increased costs.” Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York, said in a statement. “What we have yet to talk about is how our current sustainability initiatives are being impacted by this regulatory framework. Sixty trucks on the road today equal the output of one truck in 1988. CARB Standard Certified Clean Idle Trucks, as well as alternative fuels and technologies such as renewable diesel, CNG, hydrogen, hybrid and telematics, are all prominent throughout the industry, and they are essential tools to continue this progress on an achievable timeline. One solution is not the answer; they all are.”
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are trying to get rid of Advanced Clean Trucks and other California vehicle emission rules for good. Earlier this month, Rep. John James, R-Mich., introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to reverse the Environmental Protection Agency waiver for Advanced Clean Trucks. A companion resolution was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. LL