- SEMA is suing the California Air Resources Board as part of an effort to prevent proposed regulations from going into effect.
- The organization contends CARB would “far exceed” their authority and this could have a devastating impact.
- SEMA and their partner in the lawsuit say the regulations would only allow zero-emission vehicles in the state regardless of where that vehicle was purchased or registered.
SEMA and The Work Truck Association (NTEA) have joined forces to sue the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to stop electric vehicle mandates. The groups are arguing that CARB’s actions “far exceed California’s constitutional and state statutory authority and will have a dire effect on an industry that historically has led the way toward cleaner, safer vehicles through innovation and American ingenuity.”
The two organizations are upset by Advanced Clean Fleets regulations, which would only allow zero-emission vehicles in the state regardless of where that vehicle was purchased or registered. These regulations wouldn’t just apply to a handful of vehicles as the organizations said they would impact everything from pickup trucks to heavy-duty tractors with sleeper cabs.
This has wide reaching implications and SEMA said, “Interstate motor carriers and others who do not own CARB’s vehicle of choice would be barred from operating within the nation’s largest single-state economy.”
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While the EPA needs to sign off on CARB’s plan, the organizations are proactively suing on behalf of members, companies and groups that “may become obsolete in California and other markets if CARB is allowed to proceed in decreeing an end to internal combustion engine vehicles.” You can read the full 36 page filing here, but SEMA and NTEA are seeking an injunction and any other appropriate relief to “redress injuries and prevent further unlawful actions by the defendants in issuing and enforcing the ACF regulations.”
Despite their opposition to the regulations, SEMA and NTEA emphasize that they are not against electric vehicles. Instead, they’re seeking a “technology-neutral approach” that lowers emissions without putting a thumb on the scale.
In a statement, SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola said, “The overreach of California has forced the hand of the automotive industry, making this legal action necessary to protect the interests of the thousands of automotive aftermarket companies whose $337 billion annual economic impact helps drive our nation’s economy.” He added, “The illegal means by which California has sought to tilt the board by siding with just one technology is to the great detriment of a giant swath of the nation’s small businesses and threatens a dangerous precedent upon the American people.”
