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By Magda Garncarz
Vice President, Government Affairs
Massachusetts environmental regulators have delayed enforcement of the controversial Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), provided that truck manufacturers continue supplying internal combustion engine vehicles to distributors.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an “enforcement discretion” that will delay enforcement of ACT requirements for Model Years 2025 and 2026.
The ACT regulations require manufacturers of on-road medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to sell a minimum percentage of zero-emission (electric) trucks as part of their overall sales. Failure to meet these thresholds would trigger penalties, leading some manufacturers to pause the sale of internal combustion vehicles until compliance was achieved.
“While manufacturers were involved in developing the ACT framework, they now indicate that ACT requirements are too difficult to meet. Some manufacturers are limiting ICE truck sales as a means to ensure their compliance with ACT sales requirements, reducing availability to a wide range of users. Further, the current federal administration has created significant uncertainty around ZEV incentives, charging investments, manufacturing and tariffs, each of which threaten a smooth transition to medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs,” DEP said in its announcement.
AIM had warned that ACT would create unintended barriers for both public and private sector entities in Massachusetts, preventing them from accessing the vehicles they needed and ultimately slowing progress on emissions reductions in the transportation sector.
“We’re extremely pleased that the DEP has acknowledged and acted on the concerns we raised on behalf of our members. This relief through Model Year 2027 is a strong recognition of the real-world challenges our members face, and we’re proud that our advocacy helped reach this outcome,” said Stephanie Swanson, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs at AIM.
Looking ahead, AIM remains committed to working collaboratively with the DEP and our members to address ongoing challenges—including the availability of adequate technology and charging infrastructure.
