CARB: Advanced Clean Fleet

Scope

This regulation applies to drayage fleets, government fleets, and high priority fleets that operate covered vehicles in California.

Regulatory citations

• Title 13, California Code of Regulations, Chapter 1, Articles 3.2 to 3.4, Sections 2013 to 2015.6

Key definitions

• California Air Resources Board (CARB): The state agency in California charged with controlling air pollution.
• Covered vehicle: A vehicle operated by a fleet that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,501 pounds or more.
• Drayage fleet: A fleet that operates drayage vehicles.
• Drayage vehicles: Covered vehicles that operate into, in, or out of port and rail facilities.
• High priority fleet: A fleet that operates covered vehicles in California and have:
  • 50 or more covered vehicles operating in California, or
  • One covered vehicle operating in California and an annual revenue of $50 million or more (based on tax records filed with the Internal Revenue Service).

• Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle: A vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine.
• Truck Regulations Upload, Compliance, and Reporting System (TRUCRS): TRUCRS is used for meeting reporting requirements for several in-use fleet regulations, including ACF.
• Useful life of a vehicle: The useful life of a vehicle is defined as 13 years and 800,000 miles. If the vehicle is under 800,000 miles when it reached 13 years, the useful life can be extended up to 18 years, or until the vehicle reach 800,000 miles, whichever comes first.
• Zero emissions vehicle (ZEV): A vehicle that CARB has certified as operating with zero emissions. Examples include battery-powered vehicles and vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Summary of requirements

Under the ACF regulation, drayage trucks and high priority fleets will have to register their California fleet (vehicles used in California) in CARB’s TRUCRS system.

Drayage fleets are required to replace their existing internal combustion engine vehicles with ZEVs. Drayage vehicles that were operating and registered in TRUCRS prior to January 1, 2024, can operate until the end of their useful life.

This regulation requires high-priority fleets to begin replacing the internal combustion engine (ICE) units used in their California fleet with zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) beginning in 2024. There are two options for high-priority fleets:

• Model year (purchase only ZEVs): Under this option, whenever a vehicle is purchased for the California fleet, it will need to be a ZEV, unless there is an exemption the company can use. A carrier has the option of extending their trade cycle and can use their ICE vehicles that are compliant with the current emissions requirements until they have reached the end of their useful life.
• Planned phase-in: When registering in TRUCRS, companies can declare that they want to use the milestone phase-in option. This allows a company to phase in ZEVs over a 12-year span. The start of the phase-in will depend on the type of vehicles being operated. Fleets that operate Group 1 vehicles (box trucks, vans, two-axle buses, yard tractors, and package delivery vehicles) must have 10 percent of the Group 1 portion of the fleet ZEVs by January 1, 2025. Work trucks, large day cab trucks and tractors, and three-axle buses begin transitioning in 2027, and sleeper tractors and specialty trucks in 2030. When using this option, a carrier can continue to purchase ICE vehicles, as long as the fleet meets the ZEV percentage goals.

There are exemptions and extensions fleets can use if they cannot get a charging station built, or cannot acquire vehicles that meet their operational needs. These include:

• *ZEV purchase exemption: There is no ZEV of that type of vehicle available.
• *Infrastructure delay: The fleet cannot get infrastructure in place due to outside vendors or utility factors.
• *ZEV delivery delay: The fleet has the requires ZEVs on order, but they will not arrive in time.
• Daily usage: Due to distance or working hours, the work requires more miles or hours than a ZEV can do.
• Backup vehicle: To be excluded from the calculations as a backup vehicle, the vehicle must be serving as strictly a backup and the vehicle must operate less than 1,000 miles per year.
• Non-repairable: An ICE vehicle can be replaced with another ICE vehicle, if it has been involved in a catastrophic event, making the vehicle unrepairable.
• Emergency and mutual aid response: This involves vehicles used in emergency and disaster relief.
• Once per year five-day pass.

*To use this exemption, action will be required at least one year in advance of the compliance deadline.