The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) just released their proposed changes to On-Road emissions standards and test procedures. These regulations and standards amendments are aimed at motorcycles and motorcycle engines manufactured on or after January 1, 1978 through 2025. This points to a desire to force the adoption of electric motorcycles beginning in 2026 which is seven years ahead of the EPA’s new emission standards for motor vehicles model-years 2027 to 2032. Below are highlights and commentary on these proposed changes… The US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new federal emissions standards for motor vehicles model-years ’27 to ’32, intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming years. While these rules are not yet finalized and subject to approval, the agency’s target is clear: two-thirds of new passenger vehicles sold in the United States should be EVs by 2032. California is already pursuing stricter greenhouse gas standards with a goal that 70% of new vehicles sold in the state will be zero-emissions vehicles by 2030. The Golden State is also seeking to completely ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. This is significant, as 17 other states have followed all or part of California’s previous clean-car rules. It has also eliminated an exemption provided to low-volume car manufacturers (those that produce fewer than 5,000 vehicles a year). – The proposal, as drafted, is essentially the knock-out punch to the internal combustion engine (ICE) technologies the specialty automotive aftermarket has built its industry around. – The Biden Administration estimates this proposal will result in two out of three new vehicles sold in the United States being electric by 2032. The proposal is not technology neutral, as the EPA and White House suggest. – Ultimately, if these regulations are implemented, it will likely lead to
