As the California Air Resources Board (CARB) nears a June 27 vote on whether to mandate that internal-combustion forklifts across the state be replaced with battery-electric versions, a fossil fuel industry group is opposing the policy on the grounds that it would be more expensive than planned.
CARB, which monitors air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, says that “accelerating the transition to zero-emission technologies, where feasible, is an important component” of its strategy. That is particularly true for equipment in the off-road sector, which includes the approximately 100,000 forklifts operating in California, principally in manufacturing and freight facilities such as warehouses, distribution centers, and ports, CARB says.
More broadly, the state has already set a target to sell only zero-emission new cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks by 2035. And its Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation requires a phased-in transition toward the sale of 100% zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045.
Many logistics industry businesses have already begun making the investments to comply with those pending rules, reports show. But according to fuel industry group the Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA), the transition could be more expensive than expected.
Calling the policy “costly, infeasible, and flawed,” the WPGA has produced an economic impact report finding that a CARB regulation to eliminate internal combustion engine (ICE) forklifts would cost California forklift owners and operators up to $27 billion. That figure includes increased costs and direct impacts to local communities, small businesses, food banks and nonprofits, state agencies, and local governments, the group said.
Today the group sent a petition to CARB signed by nearly 800 people with “significant concerns” about the proposal. “Considering the regulatory authority of the Board and the scope of this rule, we have asked that [CARB] seriously consider how their decision will have real-word negative impacts across the state. Sadly, they seem unwilling to consider the ramifications,” Colin Sueyres, President & CEO of the Western Propane Gas Association, said in a release. “The petition signed by hundreds of Californians demonstrates that businesses from a range of industries throughout the state are very concerned about the impacts of CARB’s proposed rule. Unfortunately, to date CARB has not modified the rule so that it will be workable and we are nearing the point where the consequences will be irreversible.”
Among its complaints, the petition states that the CARB estimate of 95,000 forklifts that would be affected is too low, and that the rule would actually impact some 220,000 forklifts, which represents more than half of all forklifts in California. In addition, WPGA says that electric charging infrastructure does not currently exist; that the forklift replacement technology is cost prohibitive; and that the proposed rule does not reach its goal to establish a “fair and level playing field” among fleet operators, forklift manufacturers, forklift dealers, and forklift rental agencies.
