State Senator Walczyk applauds latest Trump executive order to temporarily halt heavy-duty electric truck mandates

ALBANY, NY- A North Country state lawmaker is applauding one of the latest executive orders from the office of U.S. President Donald Trump to halt mandates for heavy-duty electric trucks.

“Our hard-working truckers deserve the opportunity to operate without the unnecessary burden of state-by-state mandates that are impractical and sometimes impossible,” said Senator Mark Walczyk.

This development, according to Walczyk’s office, just so happens to coincide with his support of a separate state bill, introduced by Senator Joe Griffo, which is also aimed at prohibiting the establishment or enforcement of regulations on the percentage of zero-emission vehicles in manufacturers' sales fleets of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.

In other words, this bill seeks to pause regulations imposed from the Advanced Clean Truck Act (ACT).

New York’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) was first adopted by Governor Hochul in 2021, with aims of reducing emission rates by converting “heavy-duty” truck fleets to full electric.

Several of our North Country lawmakers have condemned this concept, and have instead offered the hybrid approach, where any such mandates should instead focus on transitioning to a mix of electric and gas capability before going full electric.

Starting with model year 2025, applicable manufacturers would incur deficits each year based on the total number of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales in New York, according to the Governor’s office.

These deficits, Hochul’s office emphasizes, will be offset by credits generated from the sale of medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs or near zero emission vehicles (NZEVs). Medium and heavy-duty ZEV and NZEV credits may be generated, banked, and traded by vehicle manufacturers.

Credits would have a limited lifetime to ensure continued medium and heavy-duty ZEVs sales in New York. The sales requirement would increase annually through model year 2035.

In response to these developments, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation has issued statements highlighting the ongoing need for practical solutions to promote clean vehicle sales while ensuring that manufacturers can operate effectively amidst recent uncertainties, according to Walczyk’s office.

Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.