Written on: December 11, 2024
From the National Propane Gas Association Bobtail
On Tuesday, November 26th, NPGA along with a coalition partner, sent a formal request to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) seeking PHMSA and any other necessary Federal agency intervention to delay or waive enforcement of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which has been adopted by a number of other states. California and the other states have failed to provide safety guidance or operational procedures associated with the rule, which would require hazardous materials, including propane, to be carried on electric vehicle (EV) chasses.
The rule’s onerous requirements exceed Federal mandates for EV chassis fleet inclusion by mandating more Class 7 and 8 EV chasses, on an earlier timeline than relevant Federal regulations. NPGA, with its coalition partner, stressed the need to ensure safety, and the risk of catastrophic tank impingement or BLEVE due to thermal runaway associated with EV fires. NPGA and its coalition partner requested a meeting with PHMSA, as informal communications with the agency indicated that the research and evaluation of safety concerns with Class 7 and 8 EV chasses is only at its initial stages. NPGA will continue to vigorously pursue its options to ensure the safe operations of Class 7 and 8 vehicles carrying hazardous materials to avoid potential risks associated with untested and unregulated vehicle mandates.
For more information, please contact NPGA Vice President of Regulatory & Industry Affairs Benjamin Nussdorf at bnussdorf@npga.org.
