In response to the EPA and US Department of Transportation’s proposed greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) said it continues to support efforts to assure that the EPA and DOT coordinate efforts and propose a single, national GHG reduction and fuel efficiency improvement program.
The proposed standards, announced on Friday, are the second round of regulations to improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from trucks and buses. The EPA says they will lower CO2 emissions by about 1 billion metric tons, cut fuel costs by about $170 billion, and reduce oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program.
The agencies also say the proposed standards will save fleet owners’ money; the buyer of a new long-haul truck in 2027 would recoup the investment in fuel-efficient technology in less than two years through fuel savings.
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles currently account for about 20 percent of GHG emissions and oil use in the US transportation sector, but only comprise about 5 percent of vehicles on the road.
The EPA and DOT finalized the first phase of GHG reduction and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles in 2011. These standards apply to model years 2014-2018; the agencies say they will result in emissions reductions of 270 million metric tons and save vehicle owners more than $50 billion in fuel costs.
“The success in implementing the Phase I requirements was based on the fact that the 2011 standards were well aligned with EMA member efforts to meet customer demand for more fuel efficient vehicles,” said Jed Mandel, EMA president. “We look forward to reviewing the current proposal to ensure that the EPA and DOT Phase II proposal continues to align with manufacturers’ efforts and customer needs.”
Photo Credit: semi-truck via Shutterstock
