EPA Phase 2 emissions regulation to reduce oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels

The long-awaited announcement of the EPA and NHTSA’s Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency standards target a dramatic reduction in fuel consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the regulation.

Phase 2 covers medium and heavy-duty vehicles, for model year 2018 and beyond, and intends to improve fuel economy by 24% by 2027 when compared to 2018 levels and, for the first time, will regulate trailer efficiency. The proposal has been met with a mixed reaction, with some industry players praising the projected reduction of CO2 emissions by 1 billion metric tonnes and the cutting of fuel costs by an estimated $170 billion over the lifetime of vehicles sold under Phase 2.

One area of the legislation that has proved to be contentious is the inclusion of separate engine standards. Rebecca Shellim, Conference Manager at Integer Research reported that the proposal is seen as a controversial with “leading industry vehicle manufacturers, including Daimler and Volvo, voicing their disagreement to this proposal, instead arguing for a full-vehicle standard”.

The proposal is currently undergoing a 60 day public comment window, following which, a final rule and implementation date can be agreed upon. It remains to be seen whether vehicle manufacturers can persuade regulators to move to a full-vehicle standard in the final rule. Shellim stated that “whatever is decided, the industry is now well on its way to finalising the most stringent emissions regulations in the global arena, and paving the way for a new era of technology innovations”.

Shellim stated that the full implications of the Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency standards would be examined at Integer’s forthcoming 8th Integer Emissions Summit & DEF Forum USA which, among the line-up of over 60 speakers, will hear from Matt Spears, Center Director, Heavy-Duty Diesel Standards at the EPA, who will deliver the keynote presentation and will the intentions and aims of the regulation.

Spears will be joined by a host of other industry experts, including senior representatives from Daimler, Cummins, Volvo, Navistar and PACCAR to fully share their views on the proposal and what it means for the future of the industry. An end user perspective will also be provided by a senior representative from Paper Transport Inc. Additionally, the fuel industry will be represented by Shell Global Solutions, with Dan Arcy, Global OEM Technical Manager, addressing how EPA fuel economy regulations are driving engine oil technology, and the development of PC-11 standard to replace existing heavy-duty motor oils.

In addition, the conference will address central fuel industry issues such as the evolution of the North American natural gas market in terms of vehicle and technology development and the growth of infrastructure. Discussion will be led by experts from Westport Innovations Inc. and American Natural Gas Solutions.

More information on the conference, will take place on the 27-29th October in Chicago, can be found here.

Integer has recently released a free Market Overview of Emissions Control in North America which is available to download at http://www.integerresearch.com/conferences/ies-usa-2015. The document provides a summary of the current issues surrounding emissions control legislation and technology development in the heavy-duty, off-highway, light-duty and marine sectors, as well as the DEF industry, all of which will be addressed at the 8th Integer Emissions Summit & DEF Forum USA 2015.

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