Industry Backs Truck Efficiency Standards
Initial reactions from truck and engine manufacturers have been supportive of the heavy-duty truck fuel efficiency standards announced Tuesday by President Obama.
The new regulations, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are intended to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from heavy trucks by as much as 23%.
Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. affirmed its support for the regulation in a statement and announced plans to meet the 2014 standards on Jan. 1, 2013.
Denny Slagle, CEO for Volvo Trucks in North America and Mack Trucks, said the sister companies support improvements in fuel efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gases.
“While we haven’t had a chance yet to thoroughly review the final rule, we were pleased overall with the process, and the degree to which EPA and NHTSA involved and listened to the industry,” Slagle said in a statement from Mack.
The Engine Manufacturers Association and the Truck Manufacturers Association also voiced support for the efficiency rules.
“EMA and TMA members strongly support a uniform, national program to address greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency that aligns with the needs of their customers and the nation,” Jed Mandel, association president, said in a statement.
American Trucking Associations said Tuesday it welcomed the move, noting that it had proposed a six-point sustainability program back in 2007.
Diesel Technology Forum Executive Director Allen Schaeffer said in a statement that the new regulation “envisions diesel power as the continued workhorse of freight transportation in the clean energy economy of tomorrow.”
NGVAmerica, an advocate for natural gas vehicles, said the rules undervalue the benefits of natural gas vehicles and could have been even more effective in reducing emissions and the use of imported oil.
“The rules include some regulatory incentives and flexibility for natural gas trucks but should have gone much further in recognizing the benefits of NGVs,” NGVAmerica President Richard Kolodziej said in a statement.
