Obama drives through trucking emissions standards
New regulations require over 20 per cent cuts in fuel use and greenhouse gas output by 2018
President Obama yesterday unveiled the United States’ first ever fuel efficiency and emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, in a bid to save $50bn in fuel costs over the next five years.
Drivers of trucks, buses and garbage vehicles are set to save a projected 530 million barrels of oil from 2014, officials said in a briefing following the announcement.
The regulations come hot on the heels of the President’s plans to improve the fuel efficiency of the nation’s car fleet to 54.5 miles to the gallon by 2025 - a key component in the administration’s efforts to reduce US dependency on foreign oil by one third over the next 15 years.
The truck standards are focused on emissions rather than miles per gallon and will apply to all models made between 2014 and 2018.
By 2018 long-haul trucks must reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 23 per cent, while vocational vehicles, such as delivery trucks and school buses, must make cuts of nine per cent.
Meanwhile, gas-fuelled pickup trucks and vans will be required to decrease fuel use by 10 per cent and carbon emissions by 12 per cent, while their diesel fuelled counterparts will be mandated to drop oil use by 15 per cent and emissions by 17 per cent.
Van manufacturers will be able to earn tradable emission credits towards the targets if they use clean technologies such as diesel-electric hybrid transmissions and heat-waste recovery systems.
The industry has been broadly supportive of the new standards, which have been introduced following lengthy negotiations with leading manufacturers.
Experts predict that the estimated $6,220 needed to upgrade big rigs to meet the fuel efficiency standards will be more than offset by $73,000 savings in fuel costs over the truck’s lifetime.
The upgrade costs of pick-up trucks and vocational vehicles should be far less, possibly as little as $1,050 and $380 respectively, officials said.
President Obama yesterday unveiled the United States’ first ever fuel efficiency and emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, in a bid to save $50bn in fuel costs over the next five years.
Drivers of trucks, buses and garbage vehicles are set to save a projected 530 million barrels of oil from 2014, officials said in a briefing following the announcement.
The regulations come hot on the heels of the President’s plans to improve the fuel efficiency of the nation’s car fleet to 54.5 miles to the gallon by 2025 - a key component in the administration’s efforts to reduce US dependency on foreign oil by one third over the next 15 years.
The truck standards are focused on emissions rather than miles per gallon and will apply to all models made between 2014 and 2018.
By 2018 long-haul trucks must reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 23 per cent, while vocational vehicles, such as delivery trucks and school buses, must make cuts of nine per cent.
Meanwhile, gas-fuelled pickup trucks and vans will be required to decrease fuel use by 10 per cent and carbon emissions by 12 per cent, while their diesel fuelled counterparts will be mandated to drop oil use by 15 per cent and emissions by 17 per cent.
Van manufacturers will be able to earn tradable emission credits towards the targets if they use clean technologies such as diesel-electric hybrid transmissions and heat-waste recovery systems.
The industry has been broadly supportive of the new standards, which have been introduced following lengthy negotiations with leading manufacturers.
Experts predict that the estimated $6,220 needed to upgrade big rigs to meet the fuel efficiency standards will be more than offset by $73,000 savings in fuel costs over the truck’s lifetime.
The upgrade costs of pick-up trucks and vocational vehicles should be far less, possibly as little as $1,050 and $380 respectively, officials said.
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