Background
In January 2021, CARB adopted the ACT regulation as part of California’s comprehensive strategy to reduce harmful emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to the greatest degree feasible. Achieving California’s long-term air quality, climate, and public health goals will require California to continue its long-established pattern of reducing emissions from medium and heavy-duty vehicles to the greatest extent possible, including requiring such vehicles to meet zero-emission standards. Promoting the development and use of zero-emission trucks will contribute to the goals set by the Governor’s Executive Order N-79-20 and the Sustainable Freight Action Plan, and will help achieve emission reductions as outlined in the State Implementation Plan, Senate Bill (SB) 350 (de León, Chapter 547, Statutes of 2015), Assembly Bill (AB) 32 (Nunez, Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006), and SB 32 (Pavley, Chapter 249, Statutes of 2016), and AB 1279 (Muratsuchi, Chapter 337, Statutes of 2022). This effort is part of a broader strategy to increase clean, affordable transportation options such as zero-emission technologies, innovative methods to improve freight activity, and efficiency of transportation systems in California.
In July 2019, CARB adopted the ZEP Cert test procedure which established new, alternative certification procedures for heavy-duty battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles and the zero-emission powertrains they use. ZEP Cert establishes a process that can be used to provide additional transparency, consistency, and stability in heavy-duty zero-emission market segments targeted by CARB’s technology-forcing regulatory measures or incentives geared to deploying more-commercialized zero-emission vehicles. With the proposed amendment, ZEP Cert would become an optional certification pathway for complete medium-duty ZEVs.
Inquiries concerning the substance of the proposed regulatory action may be directed to the agency representative Paul Arneja, Manager In-Use Control Measures Section, at (279) 208-7342 or (designated back-up contact) Kat Talamantez, Air Pollution Specialist, at (916) 282-6265.
The Notice, ISOR, and all subsequent regulatory documents are available on CARB's Rulemaking webpage.
Written Comment Period & Comment Submittal
In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, interested members of the public may present comments orally or in writing during the hearing and may provide comments by postal mail or electronic submittal before the hearing. The public comment period for this regulatory action will begin on March 29, 2024. To be considered by the Board, written comments must be submitted by May 13, 2024. Comments submitted outside that comment period are considered untimely. CARB may, but is not required to, respond to untimely comments, including those raising significant environmental issues. Comments submitted must be addressed to one of the following:
Clerk of the Board, California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et seq.), your written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request.
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