Toyota Aligns with CARB on Vehicle Emissions Standards Authority

Toyota has announced it acklowledges the California Air Resources Board's (CARB's) authority to set vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.This allows the automaker to be eligible for state government fleet purchases. State agencies can only purchase vehicles from OEMs that recognize CARB's authority to set greenhouse gas and zero-emission vehicle standards, and which have committed to continuing stringent emissions reduction goals for their vehicles. Public safety specialty performance vehicles are exempt from the mandate.

Toyota released a statement saying that it shares the vision of greenhouse gas reduction and carbon neutrality goals with the state.

The Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom reacted to the announcement on Twitter saying California "set the most ambitious vehicle standards to reduce pollution under the Clean Air Act and now Toyota is on board to accelerate these nation-leading efforts. Thanks Toyota for joining us and other major automakers in the fight to reduce pollution so families have cleaner air."

When the Clean Air Act was enacted almost three years ago, only two major OEMS did not recognize California’s vehicle emission standards: Stellantis and Toyota. Government Fleet reached out to Stellantis to clarify its stance on whether currently it recognizes California's vehicle emissions standards. A media relations manager for Stellantis sent the following statement:

“Stellantis is committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2038, evidenced by our recent $35-billion investment in vehicle electrification and related software to support the U.S.-market introduction of 25 battery-electric vehicles by 2030. Such actions are aligned with California’s vehicle-electrification goals.”

Other OEMs that are CARB-aligned include BMW, Ford, Honda, GM, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

Toyota is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050, with an early target to make its North American manufacturing plants carbon neutral by 2035. Toyota entered into a power purchase agreement with Clearway Energy Group to purchase electricity from a 115 MW wind farm in West Virginia to help achieve that.The automaker also has a goal of increasing U.S. sales of electric vehicles to 70% by 2030. In its 2021 North American Environmental Report, Toyota highlighted several moves it made toward carbon neutrality, including the introduction of the Toyota bZ4X SUV, the first of a global series of battery-electric vehicles to be introduced under the “Toyota bZ” brand umbrella.