The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and California Air Resource Board (CARB) today took the first step in the mid-term evaluation of the so-called National Program for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards for light duty cars and trucks by releasing a draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR) for public comment. The release of the TAR delivers on a commitment that EPA made in 2012 as part of the rulemaking establishing a National Program for the 2017-2025 period. The draft TAR covers model years 2022-2025.
Automakers have been lobbying fiercely to have the greenhouse gas and mileage standards weakened. The report itself is not rulemaking and does not change any of the requirements under the existing National Program. The report also shows that auto manufacturers over-complied with the standards for each of the first three years, and in 2014 outperformed the standards by 1.4 miles per gallon. This occurred during a period when the automotive industry saw six consecutive years of sales increases and a new all-time sales record in 2015. However, that was the easy part. Gasoline is cheap and Americans love big, really big vehicles – and for the Detroit Three really profitable vehicles. .
The draft TAR shows that automotive manufacturers are innovating bringing new technology to market at a rapid pace, and that they will be able to meet the MY 2022-2025 standards established in the 2012 rulemaking with a wide range of allegedly cost-effective technologies. Moreover, it indicates that these standards can be achieved by relying primarily on advanced gasoline vehicles. The report also shows that manufacturers will be able to meet the stricter standards at similar or even a lower cost than was anticipated in the 2012 rulemaking, with substantial savings on fuel costs for consumers.
“Today’s draft report shows that automakers are developing far more technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, at similar or lower costs, than we thought possible just a few years ago. And they are adopting these fuel-saving technologies into their fleets even faster than anticipated,” said Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “This is simply great news for consumers, manufacturers, workers and the climate.”
The National Program is designed to enable consumers to choose the car or truck they want, while ensuring that the vehicles they select will reduce carbon emissions and save on fuel costs or so it’s claimed The program was developed jointly by the EPA and DOT, in coordination with CARB, and it applies to passenger cars and light duty trucks through model year 2025. It requires manufacturers to improve average fuel efficiency and reduce average greenhouse gas emissions over time.
In recent years, and responding to the standards established in the National Program, automakers have been adopting fuel-efficient technologies such as turbocharging, engine downsizing, more sophisticated transmissions, vehicle weight reduction, aerodynamics, and idle stop-start, along with improved accessories and air conditioning systems. There are more than 100 cars, SUVs, and pick-up trucks on the market today that already meet 2020 or later standards, suggesting that automakers can meet future average standards through additional application of those technologies.
For more information on today’s announcement, visit: https://www3.epa.gov/otaq/climate/mte.htm
