A coalition of energy and trucking groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, the American Farm Bureau, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, and the National Corn Growers Association, has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to block recently-finalized emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenges the EPA's tailpipe emissions rules that require truck manufacturers to increase the share of their fleets consisting of electric or zero-emissions vehicles.

Under the EPA's rules, manufacturers will be required to ensure that by 2032, up to 25% of new long-haul trucks sold and 40% of all new medium-sized truck sales are electric or zero-emissions models. However, critics argue that this timeline is impractical considering the current state of green trucking technology, which is still in its infancy and expensive to implement.

Chris Spears, the CEO and president of the American Trucking Association, deems the regulation "entirely unachievable" due to the lack of adequate charging infrastructure and commercially viable technology needed to meet the EPA's targets. Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, warns that the implementation of this rule could have dire consequences for small business truckers, who constitute 96% of the industry. He asserts that they may be regulated out of existence, leading to a devastating impact on America's supply chain and increased costs for consumers.

Currently, only about 2% of heavy-duty trucks sold in the United States are electric or zero-emission vehicles. The EPA's rules aim to significantly increase the production of electric vehicles over the next decade to fight climate change. However, trade associations, including the American Petroleum Institute, have also filed a separate lawsuit to block similar regulations for light- and medium-duty vehicles.

The EPA declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation, and the White House has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter. As the legal battle ensues, the outcome will have significant implications for the future of the trucking industry's transition to cleaner and more sustainable transportation.

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