State rights regulating traffic safety

Question

The increasing weight and height of passenger vehicles puts others at risk during side-impact collisions, as well as at risk due to disparity between large heavy passenger-truck EVs and small efficient sub-compacts. Could say a progressive state, California or New York, ban registration of vehicles over a certain weight? Could these states require a CDL for vehicles over a certain weight, regardless if classified as passenger vehicles?

Answer 1

Could these states require a CDL for vehicles over a certain weight, regardless if classified as passenger vehicles?

States can absolutely regulate based on the vehicles weight and require different classes of driving license based on that. States generally regulate classes of vehicles based on Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or Max Authorized Mass (MAM). Both mean the total weight of the vehicle, including the vehicle itself and everything it carries. It doesn't matter how heavy the driver is, or how obese the passenger is, and whether they're carrying a load of gold bars or cotton candy. What matters is how much the vehicle weighs in total.

In California, for example, class C license is sufficient for vehicles with GVWR below 26000 lbs. Similarly, EU class B license is sufficient for vehicles with MAM of 3500kg or lower. International Driver Permit classifications are similar to the EU classifications.

For comparison, Tesla Cybertruck (a heavy passenger-truck EV) has GVWR of about 9600lbs, which is about 4350kg. That makes the Cybertruck allowable under the CA C license, but not allowable under the EU B license.

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As mentioned in the comments, CDL (Commercial Driver License) is regulated Federally. However, the gist of your question is "whether states can require different licenses for different classes of cars", and the answer to that is yes.

A good example would be RVs. In California, RV over 40' long would require a different type of license than a regular passenger car - class B (see the same link as above). That would apply even for personal use, while for commercial use of a similarly sized vehicle (e.g.: bus driver) a CDL would be required.