Rep. Feenstra, Sen. Crapo lead over 150 colleagues in demanding US EPA rescind its EV mandates for heavy-duty vehicles

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, led over 150 of their colleagues in a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the Biden administration to overturn its de facto electric mandate on trucks, tractors, buses and semis.

The final rule is entitled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles—Phase 3,” and was published April 22.

“The Biden administration’s mandate that impacts all trucks, tractors, buses and semis would strain our supply chains, hurt our farmers, harm our economy, and increase costs for every single American,” Feenstra said. “On top of inflation, poor economic conditions and other regulations, this de facto EV mandate on our truckers, manufacturers, farmers and dealers will hike the cost of groceries, utility bills and everyday goods that American families rely on. It’s also a deliberate attack on liquid fuels—including homegrown Iowa biofuels—that are vital to our energy, economic and national security. I’m glad that over 150 of our colleagues joined us on our mission to overturn this burdensome mandate and maintain choice for both manufacturers, truckers and consumers alike. This rule represents yet another attempt by the Biden administration to give more power to bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., and I’m proud to lead the effort to oppose President Biden’s power grab. We must let the free market—not the heavy hand of government—work as intended.”

Crapo added, “Heavy-handed, top-down environmental policies do more harm than good. Regulations like these raise costs for Americans, harm farmers and small businesses and push our country toward greater dependence on China. We deserve a choice in the cars and trucks that we drive, especially when the consequences of these mandates are so detrimental to the economic success of families, businesses and rural communities.”

Henry Hanscom with the American Trucking Association said, “ATA remains opposed to EPA’s current GHG3 rule. The current state of available zero-emission technology, very limited heavy-duty charging and refueling infrastructure, and an unstable power grid make the post-2030 targets entirely unachievable. ATA believes the most effective path to fixing the serious flaws in GHG3 is through legislative and administrative means. That’s why we welcome this effort led by Congressman Feenstra and Sen. Crapo calling on EPA to withdraw this unworkable rule and review the targets to account for the operational realities of trucking.”

The lawmakers noted that, “This final rule, which encompasses heavy-duty vehicles ranging from delivery trucks and school buses to tractors and semis, would disrupt the heavy-duty truck industry by forcing the broad adoption of heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles on an extremely aggressive timeline, despite these vehicles currently being less than 1 percent of sales. According to a recent study, it would cost nearly $1 trillion in infrastructure investment alone to fully electrify the U.S. commercial fleet, which does not include the expense of purchasing new semis. Additionally, the cost for an electric semi-truck averages over $400,000 while a comparable diesel Class 8 truck costs around $180,000—meaning electric trucks cost an average of 122 percent more than a normal semi.”

They added that, “Our farmers and agricultural industry will be especially hurt by this new mandate. According to the latest agriculture census by the USDA, there are [more than 3.16 million] trucks (including pickups) on over 1.4 million farms and [nearly 3.8 million] tractors on over 1.5 million farms that would see higher equipment costs and tighter margins due to this misguided rule. These numbers also do not account for the small, independent truckers, trucking companies and truck dealerships throughout the U.S. that will be impacted. Not only would this rule harm consumers, but it would also exacerbate consolidation by effectively forcing our small trucking companies out of business that cannot afford this hasty transition to electric or hydrogen-powered trucks.”

The full letter can be found here.  

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said, “As this rule ignores cost-effective emission reductions, like biodiesel, in favor of a federal mandate for technology that is either unproven or nonexistent in this space, IRFA members applaud Rep. Feenstra for leading this effort. Nearly everything Americans touch and taste on a daily basis has spent time on a truck. We cannot afford to mess that up.”