CARB Declares Zero-Emission Forklift Regulation Unenforceable

Earlier this week, the Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) agreed to settlement terms in their lawsuit over the implementation of CARB’s Zero-Emission Forklift (ZEF) rulemaking. The rulemaking would have banned the sale of new propane-powered forklifts starting in 2026 and required fleets managers to retire propane forklifts currently in operation on a set schedule going forward.

Under the settlement, CARB will not enforce the ZEF regulation, manufacturers may continue to produce affected forklifts for sale in the California market, and if CARB pursues any future action regarding this regulation, it will consider adjusting compliance deadlines to ensure fleet managers can continue to operate propane forklifts of model year 2025 or later.

WPGA President and CEO, Colin Sueyres, has been working to protect the California propane forklift market since the ZEF regulation was first proposed. “I want to thank CARB for their willingness to come to the table and find an equitable solution that would work for all parties,” said Sueyres. “WPGA and its coalition partners recognized early on that implementing this rule would prove costly at best, or completely infeasible at worst. By publicly declaring that the rule cannot be enforced and giving private businesses across California and the globe certainty, we can all work together to find workable solutions to improve our climate and air quality. I look forward to continuing our industry’s important dialog with CARB staff and its leadership.”

According to the 2023 sales report, California is the largest state market in the country, with 535 million gallons of fuel sold. For more information, contact NPGA’s Senior Director of State Affairs, Jacob Peterson.