View Rule

This rulemaking would address fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks for model years beyond 2018. This rulemaking would respond to requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), title 1, subtitle A, sections 102 and 108, as they amend 49 USC section 32902, which was signed into law December 19, 2007. The statute requires that NHTSA establish a medium- and heavy-duty on-highway vehicle and work truck fuel efficiency improvement program that achieves the maximum feasible improvement, including standards that are appropriate, cost-effective, and technologically feasible. The law requires that the new standards provide at least 4 full model years of regulatory lead-time and 3 full model years of regulatory stability (i.e., the standards must remain in effect for 3 years before they may be amended). This action would follow the first ever Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles ("Phase 1") (76 FR 57106, September 15, 2011). In June, 2013, the President's Climate Action Plan called for the Department of Transportation to develop fuel efficiency standards and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop greenhouse gas emission standards in joint rulemaking within the President's second term. In February, 2014, the President directed DOT and EPA to complete the second phase of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles during his second term.

Statement of Need:

Setting fuel consumption standards for commercial medium-duty and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks will reduce fuel consumption, and will thereby improve U.S. energy security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, which has been a national objective since the first oil price shocks in the 1970s. Transportation accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. petroleum consumption, and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles currently account for about 20 percent of oil use in the U.S. transportation sector. Net petroleum imports now account for approximately 30 percent of U.S. petroleum consumption. World crude oil production is highly concentrated, exacerbating the risks of supply disruptions and price shocks. Therefore, setting fuel consumption standards for commercial medium-duty and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks will reduce fuel consumption and improve U.S. energy security. In June, 2013, the President's Climate Action Plan called for the Department of Transportation to develop fuel efficiency standards and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop greenhouse gas emission standards in joint rulemaking within the President's second term.

Summary of the Legal Basis:

This rulemaking would respond to requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), title 1, subtitle A, sections 102 and 108, as they amend 49 USC section 32902, which was signed into law December 19, 2007. These sections authorize the creation of a fuel efficiency improvement program, designed to achieve the maximum feasible improvement for commercial medium- and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks, that includes appropriate test methods, measurement metrics, standards, and compliance and enforcement protocols that are appropriate, cost-effective and technologically feasible.

Alternatives:

In the proposal, NHTSA evaluated five alternatives for semi tractors and trailers, heavy-duty pickup trucks and work vans, vocational vehicles, and separate standards for heavy-duty engines. Alternative 1 is a no-action alternative that serves as the baseline for the cost and benefit analyses; Alternative 2 would increase standards beyond model year 2018 levels in model years 2018 to 2024 or 2025; Alternative 3, the Preferred Alternative, would set more stringent standards than Alternative 2 in model years 2018 to 2027; Alternative 4 approximately achieves the same stringency as Alternative 3 in fewer model years (2018 to 2024 or 2025); and Alternative 5 includes the most stringent of the alternative standards in model years 2018 to 2024 or 2025.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

The estimated total costs for the preferred alternative over the lifetimes of model year 2018 to 2029 vehicles are $30.5 billion to $31.1 billion, and estimated total benefits are $261 billion to $276 billion (3% discount rate).

Risks:

The agency believes there are no substantial risks to this rulemaking.