EPA Considers New Emission Standards for Big Rigs
On March 7th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled its latest proposal for heavy-duty truck and engine standards to reduce emissions.
Details
The proposal is the first step in the EPA’s “Clean Trucks Plan.”
While the proposed standards are still subject to public scrutiny before becoming official regulation, we can use them to see the direction the EPA wants trucks to head in in the next decade.
The proposal hopes to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions to 40% of current rates by 2045 and also hopes to strengthen greenhouse gas standards, though no official numbers have been set for the latter.
For engines, the proposal has two options for warranty standards that it is considering. Option One requires engines for model years 2027-2030 to have 7-year, 450,000-mile warranties, with engines after having a 10-year, 600,000-mile warranty. Option Two would require a flat warranty of 5 years, 350,000 miles regardless of model year. The EPA hopes that by raising requirements on how long an engine must last, it will help extend the durability not just of the engines, but the emission systems inside as well.
The EPA estimates that the work involved with complying with these new standards will raise the cost of a new Class 8 diesel truck by $4,000.
Industry Reaction
Reaction to the proposal has been met with mixed responses, with the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) and the ATA taking opposite stances on the issue.
“Make no mistake, clean air is a priority for everyone,” OOIDA said in a statement. “Truckers know this better than most folks, especially when they are having to pay over $5 a gallon [for fuel] in some places. However, we believe there is a more realistic path forward to reducing commercial vehicle emissions that actually involves listening to men and women in the trucking industry. … Truckers know all too well from experience with previous rulemakings that poorly implemented regulations will result in breakdowns, downtime, and ultimately set back the goal of achieving cleaner air.”
“We will be looking very closely at the proposal put forth today by the administration, and working with them to shape an outcome that builds on those reductions, while not hurting the reliability of the trucks and trailers we purchase, nor imposing unreasonable or unworkable costs on our industry,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear in his statement.
Conclusion
The EPA is still collecting information from industry stakeholders before it makes its final decision. Regardless of what that decision may be, it is unlikely to have an immediate effect on air quality; according to the Diesel Technology Forum the median truck age for a commercial truck is over a decade.
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