California Senate to vote on bill increasing weight limits for zero-emission trucks

Assembly Bill 1953: additional weight limit in California

The California Senate may soon vote on a bill that would clarify the maximum gross weight limit for near-zero or zero-emission vehicles. Sponsored by Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua, AB1953 would set the maximum gross weight limit for these vehicles at 82,000 pounds, including the additional weight in the power unit and in the tractor-trailer combination.

However, the bill’s analysis warns that fleets operating up to 82,000 pounds on non-federally funded roads might face liability due to the current wording of California’s vehicle code.

Villapudua noted in the bill’s analysis that AB1953 aims to clarify the existing legislation concerning zero-emission (ZEV) and near-zero emission (NZEV) vehicles. Advocates of the bill have pointed out a discrepancy between the federal and state weight exemptions, fearing that the difference might limit the exemption to the vehicle alone rather than the tractor-trailer combination.

The bill seeks to resolve this ambiguity by ensuring that the power units of ZEVs and NZEVs can exceed the weight limit by up to 2,000 pounds, up to a total of 82,000 pounds. A report from the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California estimates that battery-electric trucks weigh 1,500 pounds more than diesel trucks, hydrogen fuel cell trucks weigh 2,267 pounds more, and natural gas trucks weigh between 500 and 2,000 pounds more, complicating the uniformity of weight across all types.

If the Senate approves AB1953, the bill will return to the Assembly for final approval before being sent to the governor.