The second phase of greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles was published in the Federal Register yesterday, officially setting the schedule for fuel efficiency and emissions reductions.
The EPA and the Department of Transportation announced the rules in August. In 2021, vehicle manufacturers will start phasing them in. The rules require emissions be reduced by 25 percent by 2027. They apply to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks.
The EPA expects the rules will lower carbon emissions by about 1.1 billion metric tons. And while they will add $27 billion in upfront costs, the agency says they will save vehicle owners fuel costs of about $170 billion, and reduce oil consumption by up to 2 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program.
The publication of the standards in the Federal Register starts a 60-day countdown to the date the rule takes effect.
The second-phase Clean Truck standards build on the first-ever first phase of GHG reduction and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles finalized in in 2011. These standards apply to model years 2014-2018.
