“Clean Truck Rule” passed in Oregon to strive against diesel vehicles

A new act was passed in Oregon whereby truck manufacturers must sell zero-emission electric cars from 2025.

On November 17, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) approved the Clean Truck Rule, which will require medium and heavy truck designers to start selling a certain percentage of electric trucks starting from 2025.

By 2030, 30% of trucks sold in Oregon must be zero-emission electric trucks. By 2035, this number will increase to 40%.

The new regulation will also set exact standards acc. to nitrogen oxide emissions for new diesel and non-diesel truck engines.

“Today’s decision is a huge step forward to cleaner air in Oregon,” declared Richard Whitman, Director of the Environmental Quality Department. “The announcement that Oregon is open to a zero-emission truck business is an important part of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diesel pollution, especially for companies near our roads and train stations. We thank EQC for their leadership in making today’s decision. ”

Critics of the “Clean Truck Rule” said that now in Oregon there`s no relevant infrastructure to support the growing number of electric vehicles, and it`ll be extremely hard for truck manufacturers to meet the deadline.

The Oregon Clean Track Rule is prepared on model of the California`s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule.

In July 2020, Oregon was one of 15 states and Washington County to sign a “mutual memorandum of understanding” to promote and accelerate the medium and heavy-duty electric truck market.

The memorandum was also supported by the states of California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.