After finalizing controversial EV mandate, the Biden administration finalizes e-trucking rule

The Environmental Protection Agency released a final rule Friday mandating a transition away from diesel-powered heavy trucks.

As with the electric vehicle mandate that limits the total emissions an automaker’s production lines are allowed, the EPA’s heavy truck rule doesn’t mandate electric trucks. However, other technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells, have larger infrastructure challenges than the charging infrastructure.

The New York Times reports there are 5,000 charging stations in the U.S. capable of serving heavy trucks. According to the Department of Energy, there are just 59 hydrogen stations, all of which are in California and Hawaii.

While hybrids, which combine aspects of gas-powered engines and EVs, will help some manufacturers meet President Joe Biden’s demands, manufacturers who sell conventional diesel-powered trucks will likely need to produce a large number of electric trucks to comply with the new standards, as is the case with the EPA’s EV mandate.

“The EPA’s new heavy-duty emissions rule is challenging, but Ford is working aggressively to meet the moment,” Cynthia Williams, Ford Motor Company’s global director for sustainability, said in the statement announcing the new rule.

Critics of the rule warn that the limitations on electric semi trucks will increase costs to consumers for almost all goods sold, require an enormous increase in the electricity supply that’s already having trouble keeping up with demand, and require an exponential increase in mining capacity to fulfill supply chains for manufacturers.

Congress passed a law last summer overturning Biden’s existing emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, but Biden vetoed the measure.