A coalition of over 30 business and industry groups, including the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), has urged New Jersey lawmakers to delay implementing California's clean-engine rules for medium and heavy-duty trucks. These rules are set to begin on January 1, 2025.
Bills A-4967 and S-3817 were introduced in October by Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese and Senator Patrick Diegnan. The proposed legislation would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to postpone the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations until at least January 1, 2027.
The coalition addressed a letter to Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Leader Craig Coughlin, stating: “While the point of compliance is upon truck manufacturers, they are enforcing it against truck dealers.” They highlighted that as of fall 2024, New Jersey truck dealers reported being unable to meet customer demands for new heavy-duty diesel trucks due to insufficient sales of heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs). The letter added: “They haven’t sold enough heavy-duty EV trucks for one reason, no one wants to buy them in proportion to how many the manufacturers are requiring to be sold.”
The coalition cited several reasons for delaying the rule, including the high cost of EV heavy-duty trucks compared to traditional ones and inadequate EV infrastructure. They also expressed concerns about multi-state truck fleets potentially relocating their operations to states without such regulations. "For many, they already have physical locations in other states," noted the letter. "This means the annual registration of approximately $1,500 per truck will go to another state."
To view the full coalition letter addressed to New Jersey’s legislative leadership, click here.
