ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have released finalized standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon pollution.
These standards are part of the second phase of a program called for by President Obama's Climate Action Plan, and will promote more fuel-efficient trucks through the use of technology through model year 2027.
“The actions we take today on climate change will help lessen the impacts on future generations,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said. “This next phase of standards for heavy- and medium-duty vehicles will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while driving innovation, and will ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in developing fuel-efficient technologies through the next decade and beyond.”
Heavy-duty trucks create large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. The vehicles account for 20 percent of GHG emissions and oil use within the country’s transportation sector. The United States, along with many other countries, is working to encourage progress on fuel economy standards.
“Today’s ambitious but achievable announcement is a huge win for the American people, giving us cleaner air, more money saved at the pump, and real benefits for consumers across the supply chain,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “Today’s action preserves flexibility for manufacturers to deliver on these objectives through a range of innovations and technology pathways.”