SEMA Sues California over Planned Gas Engine Truck Ban

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) filed suit Tuesday against parts of California's planned implementation through the Advanced Clean Fleets rule. filed a lawsuit Tuesday against parts of the electric vehicle mandate that California plans to implement through its Advanced Clean Fleets rule.

The specific mandate requires medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including heavy-duty pickups (Gross Vehicle Weight over 8,500 pounds), to switch to electric vehicles beginning with the 2036 model year.

The mandate targets manufacturers and fleet operators and affects vehicles purchased and registered in other states.

As stated in a lawsuit filed on October 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, SEMA and NTEA are seeking immediate declaratory and injunctive relief to block the mandate, arguing that it far exceeds California's constitutional and state law authority

SEMA and NTEA also argue that the mandate could stifle innovation because it favors certain powertrain technologies over other solutions.

SEMA and NTEA state that they filed the lawsuit on behalf of their members who own and operate vehicles affected by the mandate and who manufacture and sell specialty vehicles, trucks, and automotive aftermarket products that could become obsolete in California and other markets after the mandate.

As far as passenger vehicles are concerned, California will ban the sale of vehicles powered by purely gas engines beginning in 2035. Plug-in hybrids with an electric range of 50 miles or more will continue to be permitted. The rule does not prohibit keeping gas-powered vehicles or purchasing them used after 2035.