By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
SEMA's government affairs team has recently received a number of inquiries about the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) decision not to exempt motorhomes from their Advanced Clean Trucks rule. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule would require all medium- and heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2036.
SEMA has consistently opposed California's zero-emissions vehicle mandates in all forms, including filing a lawsuit against CARB's Advanced Clean Fleet rules in October. SEMA recently spoke with our counterparts at the RV Industry Association (RVIA) about CARB's Advanced Clean Trucks decision and how the organizations can better work together to oppose these eventual internal-combustion-engine bans. RVIA is continuing to hold its own discussions with CARB about a potential delay or exemption from the state's rule and recently shared this update with its membership.
SEMA has led the effort to pass legislation and resolutions in nine states over the past 18 months that support governments remaining technology-neutral when it comes to carbon emissions and vehicle technology. The "ban the [internal-combustion engine] bans" effort maintains that all forms of vehicle technology should remain on the table and that the government shouldn't mandate one form of vehicle technology over all others. SEMA, through its Driving Force Action SuperPAC, also implemented a successful voter education effort during this year's presidential and congressional campaigns, with a focus on ensuring voters in battleground states understand the impact of EV mandates on automotive aftermarket small businesses.
President-elect Donald Trump has committed to and prioritized a "Day 1" reversal of the federal EV mandates, as well as reversing California's internal-combustion-engine bans, should President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency approve those rules before President Biden leaves office.