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Upholding Fuel Diversity: Why Congress Should Reconsider the Heavy Truck EV Mandate

by | Apr 14, 2024 | American Petroleum Institute, United States

Congress should take a long, hard look at these new regulations and consider all the options before making any big decisions.
A balanced approach is the key to a sustainable future.

Advocating for Fuel Diversity: Rethinking Congress’ Heavy Truck EV Mandate

Let’s talk about something that’s been making waves in the trucking world lately: the EPA’s new regulations for heavy-duty vehicles. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) are raising some eyebrows about it, and they’ve got some valid points.

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So, what’s the deal?

Well, the EPA’s rules are leaning pretty heavily towards zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), especially for heavy trucks. Now, don’t get me wrong, ZEVs are great, but API and AFPM are saying we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. They’re worried that focusing too much on ZEVs might slow down the development of other technologies, like American-made renewable diesel, which could actually be more cost-effective at cutting emissions.

Why are they so concerned?

Well, it turns out that almost all the heavy-duty vehicles sold in 2023 were powered by diesel. That’s a pretty big chunk of the market, and it shows that the industry is heavily reliant on diesel technology right now.

And let’s not forget how important the trucking industry is to our economy. Trucks move more than 72% of all the stuff we ship domestically, according to the American Trucking Associations. That’s a huge chunk of our freight, so any changes to the regulations could have a big impact.

But here’s the kicker:

Fully electrifying the entire U.S. vehicle fleet would be a massive undertaking. A recent study found that we’d need to ramp up our electricity generation and transmission capacity by over 40% just to make it happen. That’s no small feat!

API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which supports over 11 million U.S. jobs. So, when they say we need to take a balanced approach to clean energy, it’s worth listening.

So, what’s the bottom line?

Well, while we’re all for cleaner, greener transportation, we need to make sure we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket. Congress should take a long, hard look at these new regulations and consider all the options before making any big decisions. After all, a balanced approach is the key to a sustainable future.

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Related Links:

  • EPA Final Rule on Heavy Duty Emissions: https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/final-rule-greenhouse-gas-emissions-standards-heavy-duty
  • Advanced Clean Trucks: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/advanced-clean-trucks