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Governor Gavin Newsom’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations call for phasing out gas and diesel engines and replacing them with zero emission such as plug-in electric and hydrogen electric (electric). However, truck manufacturers have not developed electric alternatives to meet a towing or recovery truck’s range, demanding performance, and safety standards. This problem puts jobs and motorists at risk, but a solution exists.
California towing and recovery truck body manufacturers purchase truck chassis (truck cab and frame) from major American truck manufacturers, and then the towing or recovery truck’s body is attached to the chassis. While electric trucks are not new, truck manufacturers have not developed those alternatives to meet a towing and recovery truck’s travel range and demanding performance and safety standards. Nor is it a production priority for many manufacturers since there are few towing and recovery vehicles sold in comparison to freight and delivery trucks. The current electric truck chassis does not have sufficient space and rail strength for the heavy body, hydraulic equipment, and massive batteries that would be necessary. The batteries cannot sustain the truck during long patrols, which is problematic for rural areas of the state, nor can they operate the hydraulics over long periods as required during major accident and recovery duties. Having to recall a towing or recovery truck for recharging during an emergency recovery effort could come with life-threatening consequences.
The towing and recovery industry has a longstanding record of supporting lower engine emissions. However, when the state agency that regulates air quality, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), exempted emergency vehicles from the regulations, they should have considered that California Vehicle Code 165 only classifies government-owned towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles. This is why there is an urgent need to amend the vehicle code to define ALL towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles by July 2024 to prevent job losses in the industry and an adequate supply of new lower emission towing and recovery vehicles available in California to replace older higher emission trucks that need to be retired.
The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation calls for phasing out gas and diesel engines and replacing them with electric engines. Towing and recovery vehicles are not counted in air emissions reductions until 2027 partially because truck manufacturers have not developed electric alternatives to meet a tow truck’s range and demanding performance and safety standards.
When the California Air Resources Board (CARB) exempted emergency vehicles from the regulations, they did not consider that the California Vehicle Code 165 only classifies government-owned towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles. As a result, truck manufacturers have started limiting allocations of new, cleaner towing and recovery chassis to California. Once current inventories expire, no new tow trucks will be manufactured or sold in California.
California towing and recovery drivers provide 24/7 roadside assistance to over 27 million California motorists, supporting first responders and clearing 1,200 daily road accidents and 2,400 daily mechanical breakdowns. As the service life of existing tow and recovery trucks expires, no new inventory of trucks will be built or sold in California. A lack of adequate towing and recovery vehicles means longer waits for motorists that breakdown and longer times in traffic as accidents take longer to clear. Chain reaction accidents are a common occurrence on freeways and the longer traffic is stalled the more likely additional accidents occur.
In a few months, even the cleanest, most modern new towing and recovery truck chassis and bodies will no longer be assembled or sold in California, putting the businesses and jobs of those who assemble them at risk. As current towing and recovery trucks retire and are not replaced, new lower emission trucks will no longer be available to drivers.
The need for a legislative solution is urgent. Remarkably, government-owned towing and recovery vehicles, deemed emergency vehicles, are exempt from this new regulation. So, the solution is simple. Until new electric engine technology can support towing and recovery trucks, Governor Newsom and the California State Legislature need to classify ALL towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles.
No, because when California set its emission reduction goals, towing and recovery trucks were not factored in as part of its climate change goals until the technology has a chance to develop to meet the needs of the industry. CARB assumed ALL towing and recovery trucks would be exempted until a later date when electric towing and recovery truck technology was developed. As of today, no known electric truck to serve as a towing and recovery truck is in production.
This is false. Emergency vehicles are not exempt from emissions rules. They comply with federal emissions rules. These are the same rules that CARB is amending the Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation to adhere to as part of the agreement with the Clean Truck Partnership touted by Governor Newsom. Therefore, all medium and heavy-duty trucks will be subject to the same air emissions rules regardless of if they are emergency vehicles or not. However, since there are no zero emission options for towing and recovery vehicles, it means that the new cleanest emission trucks won’t be available to be purchased in California.
Call upon the Governor and your state legislators to classify all towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles—and now. CLICK HERE to join an online petition and contact the Governor and State Legislators when you receive calls to action.
