Nebraska’s attorney general is challenging what he describes as a “three-pronged attack” from truck manufacturers, California regulators, and the Biden administration to phase out diesel engines in favor of electric trucks.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers recently filed a lawsuit against four major heavy-duty truck companies, accusing them of conspiring with California environmental regulators to eliminate medium and heavy-duty trucks powered by liquid fuel.
The lawsuit, filed in state court, names Daimler, Navistar International (a subsidiary of Volkswagen’s commercial truck division, Traton), Paccar, Volvo Group North America, and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association as defendants.
Hilgers told Fox Business that these companies have openly admitted to “colluding in a classic antitrust way.”
He claims their goal is to “restrict — ultimately completely eliminate — gas-powered vehicles and push us towards an electric future that is both impractical and would raise costs for logistics companies and consumers.”
The lawsuit cites a July 2023 agreement between the California Air Resources Board (CARB), major truck manufacturers, and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association called the Clean Truck Partnership, which allows manufacturers flexibility in meeting California’s stringent emission standards.
The companies agreed to adopt standards that would require zero-emission vehicle sales in the state, regardless of challenges to California’s authority under the federal Clean Air Act. In return, CARB promised a “reasonable lead time” before imposing new regulations.
CARB, Navistar, Volvo Group North America, and Paccar declined to comment.
Hilgers called the agreement a clear admission of collusion to phase out gas-powered trucks.
“They aim to eliminate gas and diesel-based trucks quickly, pushing us toward an electric future without the people’s vote, Congress’ action, or the free market,” he said, calling this a “classic antitrust violation.”
Nebraska seeks to terminate the Clean Truck Partnership agreement.
In March 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved California’s plan to require a growing number of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. California is also awaiting EPA approval for its Advanced Clean Fleets regulations, which would require manufacturers to produce only zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2036.
In May, Nebraska and 16 other states sued CARB over the clean fleets rule. Hilgers argues that a forced transition to zero-emission vehicles would disrupt the system, raise prices, harm logistics businesses, and burden the already strained electrical grid. He also questioned the feasibility of the plan.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last year that half of all heavy-duty trucks sold in the state will be electric by 2035, with a goal for all medium- and heavy-duty vehicle operations to be zero-emission by 2045 where possible.
While the Biden administration has supported California’s plans, Hilgers expressed hope that the Trump administration would take a more pragmatic approach.