DOT, EPA Release Heavy-Truck Emissions Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Monday announced the first-ever standards to improve fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA and NHTSA announced the standards, which are scheduled to take effect in the 2014 model year, with a second round of targets in place in 2018. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson introduced the rule at a Washington press conference. NHTSA is part of the Department of Transportation.
Truck and engine makers have predicted they will be able to easily meet the 2014 standard, but that future reductions in carbon emissions will be challenging and costly. (See related p. 1 story in this week’s issue.)
President Obama, flanked by truck manufacturers and trucking industry executives at a White House Rose Garden ceremony in May, signed an order paving the way for the new fuel-economy targets. The administration said at the time its goal was to issue a final rule by July 30, 2011. (Click here for previous story.)
For combination tractors, the rule proposes engine and vehicle standards that begin in 2014 and achieve up to a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption by 2018.
For medium-duty pickup trucks and vans, the agencies are proposing separate gasoline and diesel truck standards that begin in 2014 and achieve up to a 10% reduction for gasoline vehicles and 15% reduction for diesel vehicles by the 2018 model year.
In a statement, NHTSA and EPA estimated the heavy-duty rule would provide $41 billion in net benefits over the lifetime of model year 2014 to 2018 vehicles. With the potential for significant fuel-efficiency gains ranging from 7% to 20%, drivers and operators could expect to net significant savings over the long-term.
For example, the operator of a semi truck could pay for technology upgrades in under a year, and save as much as $74,000 over the truck’s useful life. Vehicles with lower annual miles would typically experience longer payback periods of four to five years, but would still reap cost-savings, the statement said.
