New GHG Proposal Tightens Truck Emissions, Includes First Trailer Targets
The federal government on June 19 issued its long-awaited proposal to further tighten greenhouse-gas emissions for trucks, improve their fuel economy and regulate trailer efficiency for the first time.
The joint proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would phase in more stringent standards for heavy- and medium-duty trucks from 2021 through 2027.
The 1,329-page main proposal includes separate standards for engines and vehicles. The trailer regulation would kick in Jan. 1, 2018, and then tighten in 2021 and 2024 before reaching its most stringent level in 2027.
“Once upon a time, to be pro-environment you had to be anti-big-vehicles. This rule will change that,” U.S Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “In fact, these efficiency standards are good for the environment — and the economy. When trucks use less fuel, shipping costs go down.”
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Said Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations: “Fuel is an enormous expense for our industry — and carbon emissions carry an enormous cost for our planet. That’s why our industry supported the Obama administration’s historic first round of greenhouse gas and fuel-efficiency standards for medium and large trucks and why we support the aims of this second round of standards.”
The proposal applies to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all types of buses and work trucks. EPA and NHTSA said the proposal would cut carbon-dioxide emissions and fuel consumption for tractors by up to 24% in 2027, compared with 2018 levels.
“This proposal will save consumers, businesses and truck owners money, and at the same time spur technology innovation and job growth while protecting Americans’ health and our environment over the long haul,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said.
Engine maker Cummins Inc. also voiced support for the proposal, describing it as a “win-win for both customers and the environment.”
“We are pleased that the new proposal builds upon the Phase 1 framework that aligns technological advances and industry success,” said Dave Crompton, president of Cummins’ engine business.
The government also said the fully phased-in trailer standards would reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and fuel consumption by as much as 8% compared with an average trailer in 2017. Engine efficiency, meanwhile, would be enhanced by an additional 4%.
Dick Giromini, CEO of Wabash National Corp., said the trailer maker will continue to work with EPA and NHTSA as they finalize the trailer efficiency program.
“As a leader in advanced trailer aerodynamic technologies, we want to ensure that the new rule offers multiple options, in an effort to simplify compliance, while maximizing environmental benefits and overall cost savings for the fleets,” he said.
The new regulation would follow the federal government’s inaugural fuel-efficiency standards for trucks that began in 2014 and will become more stringent in January 2017.
Sean Waters, director of product compliance and regulatory affairs for Daimler Trucks North America, said the company will work with the government to develop a final rule and is disappointed it did not include a full-vehicle standard.
“While we are opposed to the separate engine standard, we are encouraged that the agencies are taking comment on whether it should be included in the final rule,” Waters said.
In a statement, Volvo Group said, "We are aligned with the federal government’s goal to reduce GHG emissions from heavy-duty trucks. While we will need to spend time thoroughly reviewing the details, we appreciate EPA’s and NHTSA’s outreach to the industry.
"In principle, the Volvo Group maintains that a separate engine standard is inconsistent with our interest in minimizing the complete, real world environmental impacts of our products."
Navistar said in a statement it needed more time to review the proposed rule.
“We look forward to providing feedback going forward to ensure the rule helps drive real-world GHG reductions and fuel-efficiency improvements through achievable technology advancements that provide a reasonable return on investment for our customers," Navistar said.
The American Truck Dealers expressed disappointment in the proposal.
"Affordable transportation is the bedrock of the American economy, and adding — by the administration's own estimate — an average of just under $12,000 to the cost of a new truck through mandates based on potentially untested technologies is a great risk to a still-fragile economy,” ATD said in a statement.
Previous rounds of federal emission standards for commercial vehicles resulted in the introduction of selective catalytic reduction technology in 2010, diesel particulate filters in 2007 and the first generation of exhaust gas recirculation in 2002.
The agencies said the buyer of a new longhaul truck in 2027 would recoup the cost of added fuel-efficiency technology in less than two years through fuel savings.
EPA and NHTSA will accept public comments on the proposal for 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The agencies said they will host two public hearings during the comment period and hope to issue a final regulation during 2016.
The Phase 2 proposal was issued three months later than initially targeted when President Obama announced plans in February 2014 to develop the regulation.
