The American trucking industry, the backbone of our nation's supply chain, faces an unprecedented threat from the Biden administration's push for electric trucks. This agenda, disguised as environmental progress, will cripple the livelihoods of hardworking truckers and disrupt the flow of goods across the country. Along with 18 fellow state attorneys general, I'm challenging this overreach in court.
In Iowa, trucking employs nearly 100,000 individuals – a significant portion of our workforce. The Biden administration's policies, however, jeopardize these jobs and the entire industry. By granting California the authority to set its own emissions standards, effectively banning traditional gas and diesel trucks, the administration has set a dangerous precedent.
California's aggressive targets mandate a rapid transition to electric vehicles, with a complete ban on gas and diesel truck sales by 2045. This state-level mandate has far-reaching consequences, influencing the national trucking market due to California's economic size. Truck manufacturers are incentivized to raise prices on traditional vehicles to steer consumers towards electric models, creating an unfair market and burdening truckers with exorbitant costs.
This policy is not only economically unsound but also constitutionally questionable. The Constitution mandates equal sovereignty among states, not granting one state the power to dictate regulations for all others. The Clean Air Act provision used to justify California's waiver infringes upon this principle. Furthermore, such significant regulations should be subject to Congressional oversight, not decided by unelected bureaucrats.
The practical implications of this mandate are disastrous, particularly for rural America. Electric trucks have a significantly shorter range than their traditional counterparts and require extensive charging times. The existing charging infrastructure is inadequate, and the power grid is ill-equipped to handle the increased demand. These logistical nightmares will exacerbate supply chain issues and further burden an industry already grappling with rising costs and driver shortages.
Electric trucks are not only less efficient but also significantly more expensive, placing an immense financial strain on trucking companies. This forced transition threatens to decimate the industry, leading to job losses and widespread economic hardship. We, as attorneys general, are committed to fighting this misguided policy and protecting the livelihoods of our nation's truckers.
