WASHINGTON, D.C. Joined by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, National Corn Growers Association and American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Petroleum Institute has filed suit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s heavy duty vehicle emissions standards for the model years 2027-2032 are unworkable and would severely damage the trucking industry with the imposition of electrically powered trucks.
“Today we are standing up for consumers who rely on trucks to deliver the goods they use every single day,” said API Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers. “The EPA is forcing a switch to technology that simply does not presently exist for these kinds of vehicles.
“Even if it were someday possible, it would almost certainly have consequences for your average American,” Meyers said. “This is sadly yet another example of this administration pushing unpopular policy mandates that lack statutory authority and we look forward to holding them accountable in court.”
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer said small business truckers make up 96 percent of the trucking industry “and we could be regulated out of existence if the EPA’s unworkable heavy-duty rule comes into effect.
“This rule would devastate the reliability of America’s supply chain and ultimately increase costs for consumers,” Spencer said. “Mom and pop trucking businesses would be suffocated by the sheer cost and operational challenges of effectively mandating zero emission trucks, but this administration appears intent on forcing through its deluge of misguided environmental mandates.
“As the voice of over 150,000 small business truckers, we owe it to our members and every small business trucker in America to leave no stone unturned in fighting these radical environmental policies.”
National Corn Growers Association President Harold Wolle of Minnesota said the EPA “has tried to impose a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing climate change by prioritizing electric vehicles over other climate remedies like corn ethanol.
“But while it could take decades to get enough electric vehicles on the road to make a dent in greenhouse gas emissions, lower carbon fuels such as ethanol are critical and effective climate tools that are available now,” Wolle said. “Ethanol is not only critical in the climate fight, but it also saves consumers money at the pump while benefiting America’s rural economies.
“We look forward to making this case in court.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said farmers rely on heavy-duty trucks to transport livestock long distances and they choose the most efficient routes to ensure that the animals in their care remain on the vehicles for as little time as possible.
“Unfortunately, heavy-duty vehicles powered by batteries have short ranges and require hours to charge,” Duvall said. “Impractical regulations will extend the amount of time on the road, putting the health and safety of drivers and livestock at risk if they need to stop for long periods of time to charge.”
In March the Biden administration finalized new federal emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles including commercial vehicles, mandating that there would need to be significant deployment of zero emission vehicles throughout the heavy duty fleet to meet emissions standards.
For example, over 40 percent of work trucks would need to be ZEVs by 2032.
“Additionally, long-haul tractors, which currently have no ZEV deployment, would need to go from zero percent today to 25 percent of the fleet by 2032,” the API said.
