Senate Blocks EV Mandates; Tower Calls Vote a Lifeline

For Ruben Ayala, owner of Tippy’s Towing Service in Riverside, California, the U.S. Senate’s recent vote to block California’s stricter clean-engine mandates was a welcome reprieve.

Repealing California’s waivers, Ayala said, “is a lifeline for the towing industry and for everyone in the transportation industry.”

Ayala, whose 40-year towing career began at age 16, warned that state policies are moving faster than technology. “In the very near future, they won’t have any inventory left of those trucks,” he said. “And because the electric technology doesn’t exist, (when) I’m ready to upgrade to the next truck or phase out an older truck, a new truck won’t be available for me to buy.”

He added, “If I roll out to an emergency situation, I don’t know how long that situation’s going to take me to clear up. It could be 30 minutes. It could be four hours.” With limited battery life, he asked, “Then what do we do? (Do) we need to go back and charge it for four hours and then come back?”

Ayala fears, “You’re going to see an incredible amount of businesses fold.”

“We’re not only business owners, but we have family members here as well,” he said. “We care just as much about the quality of life in the state as everyone else.” Source: https://www.dailybreeze.com/