Daimler halts ICE truck sales in Oregon, citing dispute on clean truck credits

Daimler Truck North America last month informed its dealers in Oregon that it would not sell any new internal combustion diesel engine trucks in that state, a decision that is still in place though Oregon officials say the truck maker’s decision is the result of a misunderstanding.

At the root of the dispute is the California Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which Oregon and several other states have decided to adopt. California sets most of the provisions, and a list of states that includes New York, New Jersey and Colorado follows most of the rules laid down in Sacramento.

The ACT does have a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency, granted to the California Air Resources Board, to be implemented in California. .

Susan Mills, a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, which enforces the ACT in Oregon, said the DEQ’s understanding of the dispute involves Daimler’s interpretation of what a staff member told the truck builder about credits under ACT. Companies that manufacture and sell zero-emission vehicles in states that have adopted ACT generate credits. Those cred