Four Truckmakers Sue California Over Preempted Emissions Standards

Four major truck manufacturers—Daimler Truck North America, Volvo Group, Paccar, and International Motors—have filed a federal lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Governor Gavin Newsom, challenging California's authority to enforce its heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards and the Clean Truck Partnership (CTP). The truckmakers argue that President Donald Trump's June action under the Congressional Review Act nullified California's EPA waivers that previously allowed the state to set stricter emissions standards than federal regulations, making California's enforcement efforts unlawful. Despite the federal government's revocation and the Department of Justice's cease-and-desist letters, California continues to demand compliance and threatens sanctions, placing manufacturers in an untenable position caught between conflicting state and federal mandates. The plaintiffs seek to invalidate the CTP, which they initially supported, arguing that it now acts as an "underground regulation" forcing compliance with preempted standards amid challenges such as slow electric vehicle adoption and infrastructure issues. California, which has a long history of setting its own emissions rules, is also suing to overturn the federal revocations, highlighting the ongoing legal and regulatory battle over state versus federal control in emissions policy. This dispute underscores tensions between climate goals pursued by California and federal regulatory rollback efforts led by the Trump administration.