In a bid to curb what they perceive as an overreach by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and safeguard consumer freedom of choice, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is urging legislators to back the CARS Act.
The bill, HR4468, aims to prevent the EPA from imposing mandates that demand the use of specific engine technologies or restrict the availability of new vehicles based on engine types. Representative Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, introduced the CARS Act in the House, while the Senate version was presented by Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, in October.
“This legislation would help ensure the continued availability of engine technologies that small-business truckers depend on for their livelihoods and are necessary to keep our supply chain functioning,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer.
The EPA proposed stricter emission standards in May for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, set to be phased in from model years 2027 through 2032, signaling a transition toward electric vehicles.
Expressing support for the CARS Act, OOIDA wrote a letter directly to Walberg on Dec. 4.
“The EPA has continued a regulatory blitz on small-business truckers in recent years and attempted to force truckers into purchasing costly alternative vehicles,” OOIDA wrote. “It’s baffling that the EPA has pushed forward with more impractical emissions timelines without first addressing the overwhelming concerns with electric commercial motor vehicles, such as the absence of a national charging infrastructure network for heavy-duty trucks.”
Wahlberg introduced the proposed legislative act in July.
“The Biden administration cannot continue to create regulations that limit consumer choice, hamper mobility, make vehicles more expensive for families and cede America’s auto leadership and jobs to China,” Walberg said. “Hardworking Americans have already experienced months of runaway inflation and high energy costs, and these efforts will only further increase the financial burden on Americans who cannot afford to purchase electric vehicles. This legislation would put a stop to this executive overreach, allowing consumers to have the freedom to decide what car works best for them and their families and preventing auto manufacturers from being forced to meet unrealistic mandates driven by the president’s Green New Deal agenda.”
The OOIDA believes that new technology can’t be publicly mandated until the public is ready to receive it.
“Clean air is a priority for everyone, but any new regulations must ensure that vehicles are reliable and affordable for professional truckers,” OOIDA wrote.
Source: Land Line
