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EPA Issues Final Rule For First Phase of Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emissions Reduction Plan
Green Truck Fleet News Inc.
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| On October 6, 2000, EPA published a Final Rule in the Federal Register implementing the first phase of a multi-phase strategy to reduce emissions from heavy-duty engines and vehicles beginning with vehicles manufactured in the 2004 model year. ("Emissions Control, Air Pollution From 2004 and Later model Year Heavy-duty Highway Engines and Vehicles; Light-Duty On-Board Diagnostics Requirements, Revision; Final Rule" 65 Federal Register 59896 (October 6, 2000)). EPA recently proposed the second phase emissions reductions, which will affect the 2007 and later model years.
The Final Rule reaffirms the technical and economic feasibility of the non-methane hydrocarbon plus nitrogen oxide ("NMHC+NOx") standard promulgated in October 1997 for heavy-duty diesel engines ("HDDE").
EPA has decided to retain the previously codified standard, which will apply to heavy-duty diesel engines beginning with the 2004 model year. Heavy-duty diesel engines also will be subject to new emissions test procedures beginning in the 2007 model year.
The rule mandates new more stringent emission standards for heavy-duty Otto-cycle (e.g., gasoline-fueled) engines and vehicles, beginning in the 2005 model year (or sooner under 2 optional programs).3 Large full size pick-up trucks and the largest cargo and passenger vans fall within this category. Under the new standards, hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen are reduced by approximately 75 percent from current standards for Otto-cycle engines.
The rule also finalizes requirements for on-board diagnostics ("OBD") systems. These regulations require engine manufacturers to provide EPA with the proprietary hardware, software and passwords necessary to interpret any information broadcast by an engine's onboard computers and electronic control modules.
The standard represents a 50 percent reduction of nitrogen oxides, as well as reductions in hydrocarbons, from diesel trucks and buses. EPA estimates that compliance with the new standard will result in an $803 increase in the purchase price of a heavy-duty vehicle.
1)The 2004 emissions standard is a NMHC+NOx limit of either 2.4 g/bhp-hr, or 2.5 g/bhp-hr with a 0.5 g/bhp-hr NMHC cap.
2)The Department of Justice and EPA entered into a consent decree with the domestic HDDE manufactures, obligating 6 of these manufacturers to meet a 2.5 g/bhp-hr limit on NMHC+NOx no later than October 1, 2002.
3)The 2005 Otto-cycle primary NMHC+NOx emissions standard is 1.0 g/bhp-hr. |
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