CARB REGULATION UPDATE
As environmental regulations tighten within the state of California, Holt of California is striving to help guide businesses to deal with the changes in the forklift industry. We appreciate the opportunity to update you on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Zero Emissions Forklift (ZEF) rule that was passed by the CARB board on June 27, 2024, and had an effective date of January 1, 2026.
- January 2025: After passing the Final ZEF Rule in June of 2024, CARB withdrew its waiver requests for its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation (ZEF rule included) in January 2025 and later decided to repeal the regulation entirely in May 2025, in anticipation of opposition and to consider its options given the shifting political landscape. This withdrawal affected private fleets’ transition to zero-emission vehicles but did not impact state and local government fleets.
- May 2025: The Zero-Emission Forklift (ZEF) regulation, created by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), has been declared unenforceable following a lawsuit. A settlement reached in May 2025 between CARB and an industry stakeholder prevents CARB from enforcing the rule against private entities until it receives federal authorization from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Industry stakeholders and lawmakers strongly believe that CARB will NOT be seeking EPA authorization for the duration of the current federal administration.
- July 2025: CARB also confirmed that LSI fleets will no longer need to report low-use hours or submit the annual attestation. Fleets will still continue to meet FAEL (Fleet Average Emission Level) requirements, but without the reporting aspect. CARB will be working on a notice to let LSI fleets know about reporting updates in the near future.
WHAT KIND OF FLEET PLANNING SHOULD YOU DO NOW?
Consider Transitioning to Electric (ZEF) Forklifts – While many key stakeholders in the material handling industry raised concerns about certain aspects of the rule, there is unanimous agreement on the importance of clean air. Electric forklifts are positioned to play a pivotal role in California’s efforts to reduce emissions. Electric forklifts have been transporting freight and cargo for over 50 years, and today’s technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace. Electric forklifts can now replace internal combustion models in a wide range of applications.
Contact us to find out more about ZEF possibilities for your application.
