The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released new guidance documents for manufacturers, dealers, upfitters, and buyers clarifying when heavy-duty engines must be certified in California and subject to the California Averaging, Banking, and Trading program requirements in the California Code of Regulations.
The guidance documents provide additional information to assist stakeholders in planning efforts to comply with the heavy-duty engine and vehicle omnibus regulation:
- Clarifications for California truck dealers regarding sales outside California
- CARB responses regarding requests for enforcement, discretion for advanced clean fleets, and omnibus regulations
While these documents are intended to help with compliance efforts, CARB notes each regulated entity is responsible for ensuring compliance with the omnibus regulation.
See also: CARB’s Clean Truck Check gets slight extension
In July 2023, CARB announced a clean truck partnership with the nation’s leading truck manufacturers and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association. CARB’s Clean Truck Partnership Commitments website tracks those commitments.
CARB staff proposed amendments to the omnibus regulation in August 2023 to provide additional compliance flexibility for the 2024 to 2026 model years while maintaining the emissions benefits of the omnibus regulation. On Dec. 28, 2023, CARB’s executive officer signed Executive Order R-23-006 of the omnibus amendments regulation, approving the proposed amendments.
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Background on CARB regulations
CARB adopted the omnibus regulation in September 2021, which imposed stricter exhaust emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for heavy-duty engines in 2024 and later, which are more stringent than California and federal exhaust emission standards currently in effect. Further, the omnibus regulation strengthens California’s certification and testing programs to ensure heavy-duty engines comply with the more stringent standards throughout their life cycles.
The omnibus regulation also offers manufacturers the flexibility to distribute limited quantities of heavy-duty legacy engines for the 2024 and 2025 model years (meeting the requirements for the 2023 model year) in California, provided that manufacturers offset any legacy engine emissions deficit with heavy-duty zero-emission powertrain credits, heavy-duty combustion credits, or by undertaking projects in disadvantaged communities.
On Oct. 20, 2023, the executive officer of CARB conducted a public hearing under the authority granted by the Board in Resolution 23-15 to consider the proposed amendments to the omnibus regulation. The proposed amendments provide manufacturers with additional compliance flexibility through the 2024-2026 model year while maintaining the emissions benefits of the omnibus rules.
