12 States to ban diesel vehicles

[2manyrocks]

I tend to think the days of the media publishing anything that resembles the real story are pretty much over. It's either some PR puff piece or somebody repeating the same lame "news." There's probably more actual content in this thread than in the general media, perhaps few of which have even touched a tractor in their entire lifetime.

 

[neilpaku]

It would be unlikely, because at the current rate of development, I think most new vehicle buyers will want electric anyway. A few of us will still prefer infernal combustion but most people don't really give a darn - they just want cheap and easy and once electric is "cheap and easy", that'll be what they buy. The market's not wrong. Once a decent form of on-board energy storage is developed (not those heavy, slow to "refill", and expensive batteries, electric vehicles (starting with cars and gradually moving towards heavier vehicles) will become the purchase of choice. Once enough of the vehicle population is electric, then gas/diesel emissions control will also loosen because the actual volume of emissions will drop right off. Might not be by 2035 but that's been the trend for the past few years. Think of how many steam engines are getting around these days (old historic ones). Nobody is really concerned about their emissions because there's so few of them - the atmosphere can handle that level of emission

 

[joea99]

I think I heard in ONE year (might have been 1867) the US laid 20,000 miles of railroad track.
In CA, they just recently wasted billions on a railroad to nowhere and never laid one foot of track.

Morons run that state. Period.

While I’d like to agree the politicians are the problem and the people of CA are great, one must stop and remember, those great people elected the moron politicians. So they must bear some of the responsibility..

That was, likely, a Federal effort, or with Federal Blessing, at at time when the land was far less populated, and virtually ZERo paved roads, or cars/trucks to use them.

California is quite densely populated with a network of existing buildings, roads and people to be dealt with. Despite that, some track has been built despite the anti-rail propaganda.

Is is a "Boondoggle"? Could it have been better managed? How would I, or anyone not involved, ever know for sure?

 

[ZiggyD]

I saw a news article of the push to ban all diesel vehicles, mainly by 2035. Currently, there are 12 states marching down this path. It's the usual states, that are also pushing for 100% electric, by tying their laws to align with laws/rules that are passed in California.

One of the things that really surprises me, is states that tie their rules and mandates that come from California. Without getting political, I'd be more than a little miffed as a voter in say Massachusetts, who's legislature chooses to abandon their own sovereignty and instead abide by the rules passed by voters in another state.

I haven't dug through all the details, but I can't help but wonder what this would do to costs for shipping and transport. Surely, you'd think they'd carve out an exception for heavy transport and trucking. What about off-road equipment for construction and agriculture?

The Stone Age didn’t end because the world ran out of stones. Something better replaced it (Bronze then copper and iron).

Fossil fuel use is a rounding error in historical times but have been instrumental in what the world looks like today.

The geezers on this site will likely all be dead in a few decades (myself included) and the discourse surrounding fossil fuels will look quaint.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

Some politician somewhere, someday will try to pass a law that electricity can only be produced by electricity.
Trends are AWAY from electric vehicles. What is currently in use while better (and can be fun to drive) than what the past offered has seen sale declines. The market will figure out what it wants. Look at the trends in super cars/ hyper cars. That is very telling.
Any "solution" really shouldn't pollute more than what it replaces..... DEF is garbage and why it's been removed from mine.

 

[gsganzer]

I don't have an issue with electric cars. I just don't like it being mandated. An electric car might be a perfect fit for my wife's driving. But it won't work for me, pulling trailers, off road driving, hauling loads etc.

Not only that, but the US is in a race with the rest of the world to harness AI. Similar to the Manhattan Project in its significance, with the winner having significant strategic and trade advantages that will reverberate for decades. The additional electrical requirements for AI and data centers are staggering. The last thing we need is to have a competing draw on our electric needs for the next few years.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I think most new vehicle buyers will want electric anyway.

I'm not "most", but not only do I not want an EV, if I had one it would be useless around here. I could go somewhere in one, just not make it back home again...and that's not even counting wintertime EV range degradation.

But it does look like I am in the "most" group when it comes to EV sales. And they most likely won't increase when I (and others) stop subsidizing them through taxes.

 

[Jd1a]

Probably missed it in this thread. Where is the infrastructure for all this electric? How is that electricity being generated? Like gas stations, they have to be everywhere. Then the morons that smoke themselves stealing electricity will create a ban on electricity.

 

[Joe1]

Electric vehicles don't work everywhere. Biden was going to use electric postal vehicles until someone found out battery vehicles in freezing climates are not practical. California's ban on diesel vehicles may not come to pass. The semi tractors are about 4,000 to over 8,000 lbs. heavier which would reduce payload by at least 5 -10 percent. Also, all loads from out of state would have to unhitch at the state line and be hooked up to electric motive power. A ridiculous idea to say the least.

California currently generates more solar power than the state can use and pays other states to take it during the day but is short of electricity at night. The current Governor has recently remover 3 or 4 dams which produced electricity; however his excuse was that they did not produce enough electricity. The latest screwball idea is to place floating windmills 900 feet high on platforms of about an acre in size located 30 miles offshore, and anchored to the bottom with chains and weights. in water that is 3,000 -5,000 feet deep then run the wires some 40 -50 miles to a 24 acre battery storage facility which will be built in an area the has tsunami warning signs at that location.

What could possibly go wrong.

This has never been done anywhere in the world in water much deeper that 300 feet. Anything is seawater will be a maintenance nightmare. From my experience as a Naval Officer during a typhoon is that even if you don't believe in God before such an encouter, you will certainly believe in the devil after.

 

[Dftodd]

This sounds great, but even if the manufacturers are allowed to meet less strict emissions standards by this administration, I can't believe they would actually change any of their current designs or plans, because they know this could all just be reversed by the next administration (unless congress acts and codifies this into law right now).

The manufacturers are global entities. Before final tier 4 came out, the manufacturers got wind that Europe was going to tier 5 emmision standards.

Rather then reinvent the wheel. Manufacturers made sure the Final tier 4 here in the US would meet Europe's tier 5 requirements.

So even if we followed Europe's lead with tier 5, all the equipment manufacturers would need to do is change the badging to tier 5

Even if the US lowers restrictions, the equipment manufacturers will leave the equipment as is.