NAEDA joins fight against California’s gas-powered SORE ban
The North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) announced its support for the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) fight against rules that restrict internal-combustion small off-road engines (SORE).
Implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Assembly Bill 1346 restricts the sale of gas-powered, small engines — under 25hp — made from 2024 or later, and any new SORE must produce zero emissions. Existing gas-powered equipment can still be used and sold second-hand. Engines that use diesel fuel are not subject to regulations.
NAEDA says CARB’s regulations have directly affected dealers’ ability to sell and service products in California and, in response, has filed a amicus curiae brief that supports OPEI’s legal challenge to the regulations.
“California is an immense market and regulations adopted there tend to spread across the country,” says Brett Davis, CEO of NAEDA. “The vast majority of outdoor power equipment products dealers sell contain gasoline-powered engines. Under this rule, dealers will be prohibited from selling and servicing those products, including products under warranty. The economic impacts of this rule will put dealers out of business, and that was clearly not taken into consideration.”
NAEDA believes Heavy-duty outdoor power equipment has unique power, safety, and runtime requirements that current zero-emission technologies cannot yet meet. Its brief provides the court with factual information about the technical infeasibility, economic impacts, and supply-chain implications of the rule.
NAEDA is joined in the brief by the American Rental Association and the Cleaning Equipment Trade Association.
