How will this effect the Interstates?

[Mollysdad]

I just heard that California and 6 other states are mandating that manufacturers MUST have a percentage of their units EV to be sold in California.
That puts the kibosh on Spartan and Freightliner, who make the majority of MH chassis.
I wonder if the Sprinter/Interstates will be effected too? Perhaps there's enough delivery vans being produced as EV's to overcome the mandate. (Amazon has some now)
It will kill the MH industry in California. Eventually, these things trickle down to places like Tiffin, etc.

[Gene]

Here is what I found:

"The California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandates all new passenger vehicles sold in the Golden State must have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035. It did the same with freight trains operating in the state, and it is mandating the retirement of any diesel locomotive more than 23 years old.

"Perhaps more problematic for America's supply chain, California is also trying to force the trucking industry to adopt zero-emissions standards, too. It's requiring commercial vehicles, even heavy-duty big rigs, be zero emission by 2042, and bans the sale of bigger trucks starting in 2036.
...

"Still, after California announced two years ago that it would go down this road, eight other states have followed its lead: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington."

I assume lawsuits will fly around and the new federal administration will try to change this, although when they challenged California in court before over vehicle standards, I think they lost. As stated, it means new vehicles only with the exception of diesel locomotives.

Our summer was very hot and fall didn't come until the end of October. A 24 year drought in the southwest is a warning. Climate refugees are crossing borders all over the planet. Something has to be done—one way or another we all pay.

[JimMartin]

I suspect the state would look at the entire Mercedes line, not just sprinter vans in determining if Mercedes meets the percentage requirement. Assuming that is the case, Mercedes will probably be capable of delivering enough EV cars to California to offset any diesel sprinters.

Ford already makes an EV Transit, but it lacks the range to make a good motor home. In 10 years (when the law is in full effect), there is a good chance that EV battery tech will have improved to the point that a class B motor home with a 300+ mile range is a possibility.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, here is the problem for the Interstate; It is sold and registered as an Airstream, not a Mecedes.

[Wazbro]

This might help. It's from Thor, might come out for Airstream, claims commercially available in 2025.

https://camperreport.com/thor-test-v...s-a-motorhome/

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, here is the problem for the Interstate; It is sold and registered as an Airstream, not a Mecedes.

An Interstate is sold as an Airstream but registered as a Mercedes Sprinter van with the Mercedes VIN to track safety and emissions matters.

[The Boot]

Can you not just buy one out of state, and register it in state?

[SunchaserV]

Fortunately, motorhomes have a good replacement - TVs. Also, living in CA, OR or WA does not force one to keep their motorhome there. I'll stay away from the politics of left coast climate change activists.

[djb75]

The article I read stated that for an out of state non-EV RV to be registered in California, it needs to be a certain age (six years or older?).

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by djb75

The article I read stated that for an out of state non-EV RV to be registered in California, it needs to be a certain age (six years or older?).

Then campgrounds will turn away any camper older than 10 years, so once again, the recreational user is stuck in the middle. You have to buy a six yr old camper every four years.
Imagine Prevost going under! Does that mean Greyhound will have to make electric busses? Or drop off passengers at the state line? "Okay, folks, end of the line, Death Valley!. Don't forget all your personal belongings."
I'm hoping common sense has returned.........

Side note: Years ago we sent trucks into California. There's a little known regulation that the sleeper cab can't store anything other than a fire extinguisher. Ours had a box behind the sleeper with cables, so California considered it a "truck pulling a truck". We had to rent tractors in California to tow the trailers and then our tractors deadheaded to the same place. In reality we had two trucks doing the job of one in the name of green.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, here is the problem for the Interstate; It is sold and registered as an Airstream, not a Mecedes.

The regulations allow buying and selling the credits, so it shouldn't matter what it is registered as. The issue here is that the two manufacturers who are planning to stop offering motorhome chassis aren't willing to share the credits. They will use their credits for their own vehicles.

Ford, OTO, seems to be willing to use credits to allow them to keep offering a motorhome chassis.

This comes down to the regulations having been out for two years, and the motorhome companies not planning their future product offerings.

The regulations apply to vehicles over 8500 lb GVWR, so that includes 3/4 and 1 ton pickups. That is where I think we will see more cries of outrage.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Imagine Prevost going under! Does that mean Greyhound will have to make electric busses? Or drop off passengers at the state line? "Okay, folks, end of the line, Death Valley!. Don't forget all your personal belongings."
I'm hoping common sense has returned.........

I don't foresee Prevost going under due to this. They have been working for two years on their EV bus. I don't know if and when they will offer it in a motorhome configuration, but it isn't a stretch to think that they will. Prevost is part of Volvo, and Volvo is one of the leaders in heavy duty EV trucks.

Greyhound doesn't make a bus. They use Prevost and MCI. And MCI offers multiple EV bus models today.

Our local EV transit buses don't come from either of those manufacturers, they are made by New Flyer and Nova. Those buses are in service now.

Also, Freightliner offer medium duty EV truck chassis models now. If they decide they want to take those into the Super C space, or manufacture a motorhome configuration, they have the technology to do so.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

An Interstate is sold as an Airstream but registered as a Mercedes Sprinter van with the Mercedes VIN to track safety and emissions matters.

Hi

+ 1

Indeed as far as the state of PA is concerned our van is a Sprinter. That's the VIN they want to use on the title and on the registration. The "fact" that it's an Airstream apparently means nothing at all to them.

What does CA say about this? I have no idea.

Bob

[DaveG]

After reading the AI-19 as delivered new will be okay. Also, MB has EV vehicles. However EV sales have not gone up in 2024 so will they meet the percentage? Watched a video and this will have significant impact on the industry if all is as presented. Sure does seem like there is a good argument for a RV exemption.

https://youtu.be/ncu8_pExIww?si=UMFZxGspZeoE5d6E

[blahargoue]

You will be allowed to buy one out of state and bring it in IF it has over 7500 miles on it.

I would be more concerned about CARB's rulung last week that prohibits the use of carbon credits by the oil companies. This, by CARB's own admission, will immediately raise the price of gasoline and diesel by at least 42 cents per gallon. Other estimates indicate that the price will rise by 64 cents per gallon.

The loss of the use of carbon credits will make the refining costs of fuel sky rocket. Phillips 66 announced that they will be closing an LA area refinery in 2025 that prodeced 8% of CA's gasoline. About 90٪ of Nevada's fuel comes from CA and according to a Las Vegas news report, will result in similar price increases.

[dst]

California will slowly regulate its economy into the dumpster. The 8500 GVWR limit impacts most 3/4 ton vehicles and above. Not just tow vehicles and RVs, think about all of those delivery trucks that make the economy work.

Companies that want to buy new tractor-trailer trucks or delivery trucks can't because dealers have to sell a zero-emission version to get credit to sell a diesel version. So companies hold onto their older vehicles, which are for the most part less efficient and produce higher emissions. Those that do start to phase in EVs are saddled with huge implementation costs for chargers. Drivers earn less because they don't get paid to sit at the charger, they get paid to deliver loads. And they have to plan routes carefully to make sure there are chargers available.

We won't even talk about the electrical grid in California. They have issues with current demands now; what happens when they push more EVs on the road. And then when it's windy and the utility cuts power to prevent fires how do those folks charge their vehicles.

[cptdzl]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

+ 1

Indeed as far as the state of PA is concerned our van is a Sprinter. That's the VIN they want to use on the title and on the registration. The "fact" that it's an Airstream apparently means nothing at all to them.

What does CA say about this? I have no idea.

Bob

Bob
Curious does the state put "Motorhome" plates on converted sprinters? I just saw a post where a person purchased a transit van, titled as a truck, had converted to class B and asked if he needed Motorhome plates? Again curious how all that works out. Seems like a cottage industry of Vans purchased off the lot and then converted. At what point do the state DMV's differentiate from the original factory build to the finished conversion.

[Salvagediver]

Hmmm, wonder what the impact will be for the used Interstate market. My "stuff" is always for sale, but maybe the GT will be more valuable on the used market.

[Andy543]

As we approach 2035 it will become obvious to all that EVs are unworkable. The rules will be changed to continue to allow gas and diesel. One way for the regulators to save face will be to designate a hybrid as an electric car (even though it's not). I don't see the EV revolution surviving much past 2026.

[jcl]

This thread is actually about the Interstate.

It is not about California, EVs, carbon credits, politics, and so on. Wandering into those topics typically results in threads being closed, and that is a shame.