Source: Gasgoo
The U.S. government said on March 29 that the country is finalizing tougher emissions standards for heavy vehicles such as semi-trucks and buses, but the new rules won’t be as stringent as the first proposal in 2023.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the new emission standard for vehicle would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion tons before 2055 and provide $13 billion in annual net benefits to society. By comparison, the EPA has previously said that the stricter rules it proposed last year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.8 billion tons.
The new standard will apply to delivery trucks, garbage trucks, utility trucks, buses, shuttles, school buses and tractor-trailers. Heavy-duty vehicles account for 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, which is responsible for 29 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
Image source: RAM
In addition, EPA said the standard allows every car company to choose the most suitable technology for reducing emissions. Under the final standard, the sales of electrical car from 2027 to 2029 will be lower than prediction under the first standard.
However, some car associations still think the new standard is too strict. The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, which represents Daimler Trucks, Volvo Trucks, Cummins and otehrs, concerned that the the final standards might be the most challenging, costly and potentially disruptive in history.
The association added that the new standard set the percentage of zero-emission vehicles that companies must sell, such as fuel cell-powered or electric vehicles. This requirement is beyond the companies’ ability to control.
In contrast, Tesla and some environmental groups had urged the EPA to pass tougher rules. “EPA hasn’t done enough to protect communities from the dangerous health effects of heavy truck pollution,” Abigail Dillen, president of the environmental group Earthjustice, said on March 29. Truck manufacturers urged the EPA to slow down the pace of this change.
The American Trucking Associations said: “Given the current state of zero-emission technology, lack of charging infrastructure, and grid constraints, the post-2030 target is still not fully achievable.” The current emission limits for heavy-duty trucks and engines were set in 2016.
Katherine Garcia of the Sierra Club supported the EPA’s new rules, “Truck manufacturers must drive into the fast lane on zero-emission trucks to achieve the climate, health and economic benefits we deserve.”
Last week, the EPA finalized emissions rules for light – and medium-duty vehicles through 2032, lowering the U.S. adoption target for electric vehicles from 67 percent to 35 percent by 2032.
