Canada finalized greenhouse-gas emissions regulations for heavy-duty trucks on Monday that will reduce emissions from vehicles by as much as 23%, aligning with U.S. standards for the 2014 to 2018 model years.
Like the U.S. regulations, emissions limits for carbon dioxide will increase between 2014 and 2018, and apply to new vehicles such as freight trucks, buses and garbage trucks, Canada's Environment Minister Peter Kent said in a statement.
“These regulations . . . are another example of the success we are having working collaboratively with our partners in the United States to harmonize standards and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions,” Kent said Monday in an event at the Mississauga, Ontario, terminal of truckload carrier Bison Transport.
“Given the integrated nature of the North American automotive industry, this approach makes sense and is vital to protecting the competitiveness of Canada’s vehicle manufacturers,” he said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a similar regulation in August 2011, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published fuel-economy standards for the same vehicles.
Canada’s regulation does not mandate fuel economy improvements. But the emissions reductions will improve trucks’ fuel economy and save an average of C$8,000 per year per truck by the 2018 model year.
Greenhouse-gas rules developed by the U.S. EPA have fostered the need for more cooperation among engine and component manufacturers, company officials at the American Truck Dealers annual convention said earlier this month.
