Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles, 74152-74456 [2010-28120]

Agencies

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 74152-74456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28120]



[[Page 74151]]

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Part II





Environmental Protection Agency





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40 CFR Parts 85, 86, 1036, et al.





Department of Transportation





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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Parts 523, 534, and 535



Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for 
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles; Proposed Rule

Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 229 / Tuesday, November 30, 2010 / 
Proposed Rules

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 85, 86, 1036, 1037, 1065, 1066, and 1068

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Parts 523, 534, and 535

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162; NHTSA-2010-0079; FRL-9219-4]
RIN 2060-AP61; RIN 2127-AK74


Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards 
for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles

AGENCIES: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation 
(DOT).

ACTION: Proposed rules.

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SUMMARY: EPA and NHTSA, on behalf of the Department of Transportation, 
are each proposing rules to establish a comprehensive Heavy-Duty 
National Program that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase 
fuel efficiency for on-road heavy-duty vehicles, responding to the 
President's directive on May 21, 2010, to take coordinated steps to 
produce a new generation of clean vehicles. NHTSA's proposed fuel 
consumption standards and EPA's proposed carbon dioxide 
(CO2) emissions standards would be tailored to each of three 
regulatory categories of heavy-duty vehicles: Combination Tractors; 
Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans; and Vocational Vehicles, as well as 
gasoline and diesel heavy-duty engines. EPA's proposed 
hydrofluorocarbon emissions standards would apply to air conditioning 
systems in tractors, pickup trucks, and vans, and EPA's proposed 
nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions 
standards would apply to all heavy-duty engines, pickup trucks, and 
vans. EPA is also requesting comment on possible alternative 
CO2-equivalent approaches for model year 2012-14 light-duty 
vehicles.
    EPA's proposed greenhouse gas emission standards under the Clean 
Air Act would begin with model year 2014. NHTSA's proposed fuel 
consumption standards under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 
2007 would be voluntary in model years 2014 and 2015, becoming 
mandatory with model year 2016 for most regulatory categories. 
Commercial trailers would not be regulated in this phase of the Heavy-
Duty National Program, although there is a discussion of the 
possibility of future action for trailers.

DATES: Comments: Comments on all aspects of this proposal must be 
received on or before January 31, 2011. Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act, comments on the information collection provisions must be received 
by the Office of Management and Budget on or before December 30, 2010. 
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section on ``Public Participation'' 
for more information about written comments.
    Public Hearings: NHTSA and EPA will jointly hold two public 
hearings on the following dates: November 15, 2010 in Chicago, IL; and 
November 18, 2010 in Cambridge, MA, as announced at 75 FR 67059, 
November 1, 2010. The hearing in Chicago will start at 11 a.m. local 
time and continue until 5 p.m. or until everyone has had a chance to 
speak. The hearing in Cambridge will begin at 10 a.m. and continue 
until 5 p.m. or until everyone has had a chance to speak. See ``How Do 
I Participate in the Public Hearings?'' below at B. (7) under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section on ``Public Participation'' for more 
information about the public hearings.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. NHTSA-
2010-0079 and/or EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162, by one of the following methods:
     https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: NHTSA: (202) 493-2251; EPA: (202) 566-9744.
     Mail:
    NHTSA: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
    EPA: Air Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center, Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20460. In addition, please mail a copy of your comments on the 
information collection provisions to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attn: Desk 
Officer for EPA, 725 17th St., NW., Washington, DC 20503.
     Hand Delivery:
    NHTSA: West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern 
Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    EPA: EPA Docket Center, (Air Docket), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Room: 3334, 
Mail Code 2822T, Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only accepted 
during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements 
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. NHTSA-2010-0079 
and/or EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
on ``Public Participation'' for additional instructions on submitting 
written comments.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., confidential business 
information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by 
statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be 
publicly available only in hard copy in EPA's docket, but may be 
available electronically in NHTSA's docket at regulations.gov. Publicly 
available docket materials are available either electronically in 
https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the following locations:
    NHTSA: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Management 
Facility is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    EPA: EPA Docket Center, EPA/DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the Air Docket is (202) 566-1742.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NHTSA: Rebecca Yoon, Office of Chief 
Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-2992. 
EPA: Lauren Steele, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 
Assessment and Standards Division (ASD), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; telephone number: 
(734) 214-4788; fax number: (734) 214-4816; e-mail address: 
steele.lauren@epa.gov, or Assessment and Standards Division Hotline; 
telephone number; (734) 214-4636; e-mail asdinfo@epa.gov.

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Does this action apply to me?

    This action would affect companies that manufacture, sell, or 
import into the United States new heavy-duty engines and new Class 2b 
through 8 trucks, including combination tractors, school and transit 
buses, vocational vehicles such as utility service trucks, as well as 
\3/4\-ton and 1-ton pickup trucks and vans.\1\ The heavy-duty category 
incorporates all motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 
8,500 pounds or greater, and the engines that power them, except for 
medium-duty passenger vehicles already covered by the greenhouse gas 
standards and corporate average fuel economy standards issued for 
light-duty model year 2012-2016 vehicles. This action also includes a 
discussion of the possible future regulation of commercial trailers and 
is requesting comment on possible alternative CO2-equivalent 
approaches for model year 2012-14 light-duty vehicles. Potentially 
affected categories and entities include the following:
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    \1\ For purposes of NHTSA's fuel consumption regulations, non-
commercial recreational vehicles will not be covered, even if they 
would otherwise fall under these categories. See 49 U.S.C. 
32901(a)(7).
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP30NO10.000

    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be regulated by this 
proposal. This table lists the types of entities that the agencies are 
now aware could potentially be regulated by this action. Other types of 
entities not listed in the table could also be regulated. To determine 
whether your activities may be regulated by this action, you should 
carefully examine the applicability criteria in 40 CFR parts 1036 and 
1037, 49 CFR parts 523, 534, and 535, and the referenced regulations. 
You may direct questions regarding the applicability of this action to 
the persons listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section.

B. Public Participation

    NHTSA and EPA request comment on all aspects of these joint 
proposed rules. This section describes how you can participate in this 
process.

(1) How do I prepare and submit comments?

    In this joint proposal, there are many aspects of the program 
common to both EPA and NHTSA. For the convenience of all parties, 
comments submitted to the EPA docket (whether hard copy or electronic) 
will be considered comments submitted to the NHTSA docket, and vice 
versa. An exception is that comments submitted to the NHTSA docket on 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will not be considered 
submitted to the EPA docket. Therefore, the public only needs to submit 
comments to either one of the two agency dockets. Comments that are 
submitted for consideration by one agency should be identified as such, 
and comments that are submitted for consideration by both agencies 
should be identified as such. Absent such identification, each agency 
will exercise its best judgment to determine whether a comment is 
submitted on its proposal.
    Further instructions for submitting comments to either the EPA or 
NHTSA docket are described below.

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    NHTSA: Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that 
your comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the 
Docket I.D No. NHTSA-2010-0079 in your comments. By regulation, your 
comments must not be more than 15 pages long (49 CFR 553.21). NHTSA 
established this limit to encourage you to write your primary comments 
in a concise fashion. However, you may attach necessary additional 
documents to your comments. There is no limit on the lenght of the 
attachments. If you are submitting comments electronically as a PDF 
(Adobe) file, we ask that the documents submitted be scanned using the 
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process, thus allowing the agencies 
to search and copy certain portions of your submissions.\2\ Please note 
that pursuant to the Data Quality Act, in order for the substantive 
data to be relied upon and used by the agencies, it must meet the 
information quality standards set forth in the OMB and Department of 
Transportation (DOT) Data Quality Act quidelines. Accordingly, we 
encourage you to consult the guidelines in preparing your comments. 
OMB's guidelines may be accessed at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible.html. DOT's guidelines may be access at https://regs.dot.gov.
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    \2\ Optical character recognition (OCR) is the process of 
converting an image of text, such as a scanned paper document or 
electronic fax file, into computer-editable text.
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    EPA: Direct your comments to Docket ID No EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162. 
EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change and may be made available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through https://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The https://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous 
access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through https://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

(2) Tips for Preparing Your Comments

    When submitting comments, remember to:
     Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other 
identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and 
page number).
     Follow directions--The agencies may ask you to respond to 
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a part or 
section number from the Code of Federal Regulations.
     Explain why you agree or disagree, suggest alternatives, 
and substitute language for your requested changes.
     Describe any assumptions and provide any technical 
information and/or data that you used.
     If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how 
you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
     Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
     Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the 
use of profanity or personal threats.
     Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified in the DATES section above.

(3) How can I be sure that my comments were received?

    NHTSA: If you submit your comments by mail and wish Docket 
Management to notify you upon its receipt of your comments, enclose a 
self-addressed, stamped postcard in the envelope containing your 
comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket Management will return 
the postcard by mail.

(4) How do I submit confidential business information?

    Any CBI submitted to one of the agencies will also be available to 
the other agency.\3\ However, as with all public comments, any CBI 
information only needs to be submitted to either one of the agencies' 
dockets and it will be available to the other. Following are specific 
instructions for submitting CBI to either agency.
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    \3\ This statement constitutes notice to commenters pursuant to 
40 CFR 2.209(c) that EPA will share confidential business 
information received with NHTSA unless commenters expressly specify 
that they wish to submit their CBI only to EPA and not to both 
agencies.
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    NHTSA: If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, you should submit three copies of your complete 
submission, including the information you claim to be CBI, to the Chief 
Counsel, NHTSA, at the address given above under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. When you send a comment containing CBI, you should 
include a cover letter setting forth the information specified in our 
CBI regulation. In addition, you should submit a copy from which you 
have deleted the claimed CBI to the Docket by one of the methods set 
forth above.
    EPA: Do not submit CBI to EPA through https://www.regulations.gov or 
e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim 
to be CBI. For CBI in a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the 
outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and then identify electronically 
within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as 
CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes 
information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain 
the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the 
public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in 
accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

(5) Will the agencies consider late comments?

    NHTSA and EPA will consider all comments received before the close 
of business on the comment closing date indicated above under DATES. To 
the extent practicable, we will also consider comments received after 
that date. If interested persons believe that any new information the 
agency places in the docket affects their comments, they may submit 
comments after the closing date concerning how the agency should 
consider that information for the final rules. However, the agencies' 
ability to consider any such late comments in this rulemaking will be 
limited due to the time frame for issuing the final rules.
    If a comment is received too late for us to practicably consider in 
developing the final rules, we will consider that comment as an 
informal suggestion for future rulemaking action.

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How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

    You may read the materials placed in the dockets for this document 
(e.g., the comments submitted in response to this document by other 
interested persons) at any time by going to https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. You may also 
read the materials at the NHTSA Docket Management Facility or the EPA 
Docket Center by going to the street addresses given above under 
ADDRESSES.

How do I participate in the public hearings?

    EPA and NHTSA will jointly host two public hearings. The November 
15 hearing will be held at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago, 
163 East Walton Place (at N. Michigan Ave.), Chicago, Illinois 60611. 
The November 18, 2010 hearing will be held at the Hyatt Regency 
Cambridge, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4896. If 
you would like to present oral testimony at a public hearing, we ask 
that you notify both the NHTSA and EPA contact persons listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least ten days before the hearing. Once 
the agencies learn how many people have registered to speak at the 
public hearings, we will allocate an appropriate amount of time to each 
participant, allowing time for necessary breaks. For planning purposes, 
each speaker should anticipate speaking for approximately ten minutes, 
although we may need to shorten that time if there is a large turnout. 
We request that you bring three copies of your statement or other 
material for the agencies' panels. To accommodate as many speakers as 
possible, we prefer that speakers not use technological aids (e.g., 
audio-visuals, computer slideshows). In addition, we will reserve a 
block of time for anyone else in the audience who wants to give 
testimony.
    Each hearing will be held at a site accessible to individuals with 
disabilities. Individuals who require accommodations such as sign 
language interpreters should contact the persons listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above no later than ten days before 
the date of the hearing.
    EPA and NHTSA will conduct the hearings informally, and technical 
rules of evidence will not apply. We will arrange for a written 
transcript of each hearing and keep the official records of the 
hearings open for 30 days to allow you to submit supplementary 
information. You may make arrangements for copies of a transcript 
directly with the court reporter.

C. Additional Information About This Rulemaking

    EPA's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for regulating 
greenhouse gases under the CAA (see 73 FR 44353, July 30, 2008) 
included a discussion of possible rulemaking paths for the heavy-duty 
transportation sector. This notice of proposed rulemaking relies in 
part on information that was obtained from that notice, which can be 
found in Public Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0318. That docket is 
incorporated into the docket for this action, EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0162.

Table of Contents

A. Does this action apply to me?
B. Public Participation
C. Additional Information About This Rulemaking
I. Overview
    A. Introduction
    B. Building Blocks of the Heavy-Duty National Program
    C. Summary of the Proposed EPA and NHTSA HD National Program
    D. Summary of Costs and Benefits of the HD National Program
    E. Program Flexibilities
    F. EPA and NHTSA Statutory Authorities
    G. Future HD GHG and Fuel Consumption Rulemakings
II. Proposed GHG and Fuel Consumption Standards for Heavy-Duty 
Engines and Vehicles
    A. What vehicles would be affected?
    B. Class 7 and 8 Combination Tractors
    C. Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans
    D. Class 2b-8 Vocational Vehicles
    E. Other Standards Provisions
III. Feasibility Assessments and Conclusions
    A. Class 7-8 Combination Tractor
    B. Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans
    C. Class 2b-8 Vocational Vehicles
IV. Proposed Regulatory Flexibility Provisions
    A. Averaging, Banking, and Trading Program
    B. Additional Proposed Flexibility Provisions
V. NHTSA and EPA Proposed Compliance, Certification, and Enforcement 
Provisions
    A. Overview
    B. Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans
    C. Heavy-Duty Engines
    D. Class 7 and 8 Combination Tractors
    E. Class 2b-8 Vocational Vehicles
    F. General Regulatory Provisions
    G. Penalties
VI. How would this proposed program impact fuel consumption, GHG 
emissions, and climate change?
    A. What methodologies did the agencies use to project GHG 
emissions and fuel consumption impacts?
    B. MOVES Analysis
    C. What are the projected reductions in fuel consumption and GHG 
emissions?
    D. Overview of Climate Change Impacts From GHG Emissions
    E. Changes in Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations, Global 
Mean Temperature, Sea Level Rise, and Ocean pH Associated With the 
Proposal's GHG Emissions Reductions
VII. How would this proposal impact Non-GHG emissions and their 
associated effects?
    A. Emissions Inventory Impacts
    B. Health Effects of Non-GHG Pollutants
    C. Environmental Effects of Non-GHG Pollutants
    D. Air Quality Impacts of Non-GHG Pollutants
VIII. What are the agencies' estimated cost, economic, and other 
impacts of the proposed program?
    A. Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Impacts
    B. Costs Associated With the Proposed Program
    C. Indirect Cost Multipliers
    D. Cost Per Ton of Emissions Reductions
    E. Impacts of Reduction in Fuel Consumption
    F. Class Shifting and Fleet Turnover Impacts
    G. Benefits of Reducing CO2 Emissions
    H. Non-GHG Health and Environmental Impacts
    I. Energy Security Impacts
    J. Other Impacts
    K. Summary of Costs and Benefits From the Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions Perspective
    L. Summary of Costs and Benefits From the Fuel Efficiency 
Perspective
IX. Analysis of Alternatives
    A. What are the alternatives that the agencies considered?
    B. How do these alternatives compare in overall GHG emissions 
reductions, fuel efficiency and cost?
    C. How would the agencies include commercial trailers, as 
described in alternative 7?
X. Recommendations From the 2010 NAS Report
    A. Overview
    B. What were the major findings and recommendations of the 2010 
NAS report, and how is the proposed HD national program consistent 
with them?
XI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
XII. Statutory Provisions and Legal Authority
    A. EPA
    B. NHTSA

I. Overview

A. Introduction

    EPA and NHTSA (``the agencies'') are announcing a first-ever 
program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve fuel 
efficiency in the heavy-duty highway vehicle sector. This broad 
sector--ranging from large pickups to sleeper-cab tractors--together 
represent the second largest contributor to oil consumption and GHG 
emissions, after light-duty passenger cars and trucks.
    In a recent memorandum to the Administrators of EPA and NHTSA (and 
the Secretaries of Transportation and

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Energy), the President stated that ``America has the opportunity to 
lead the world in the development of a new generation of clean cars and 
trucks through innovative technologies and manufacturing that will spur 
economic growth and create high-quality domestic jobs, enhance our 
energy security, and improve our environment.'' \4\ Earlier this year, 
EPA and NHTSA established for the first time a national program to 
sharply reduce GHG emissions and fuel consumption from passenger cars 
and light trucks. Now, each agency is proposing rules that together 
would create a strong and comprehensive Heavy-Duty National Program 
(``HD National Program'') designed to address the urgent and closely 
intertwined challenges of dependence on oil, energy security, and 
global climate change. At the same time, the proposed program would 
enhance American competitiveness and job creation, benefit consumers 
and businesses by reducing costs for transporting goods, and spur 
growth in the clean energy sector.
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    \4\ Improving Energy Security, American Competitiveness and Job 
Creation, and Environmental Protection Through a Transformation of 
Our Nation's Fleet of Cars And Trucks,'' Issued May 21, 2010, 
published at 75 FR 29399, May 26, 2010.
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    A number of major HD truck and engine manufacturers representing 
the vast majority of this industry, and the California Air Resources 
Board (California ARB), sent letters to EPA and NHTSA supporting a HD 
National Program based on a common set of principles. In the letters, 
the stakeholders commit to working with the agencies and with other 
stakeholders toward a program consistent with common principles, 
including:
     Increased use of existing technologies to achieve 
significant GHG emissions and fuel consumption reductions;
     A program that starts in 2014 and is fully phased in by 
2018;
     A program that works towards harmonization of methods for 
determining a vehicle's GHG and fuel efficiency, recognizing the global 
nature of the issues and the industry;
     Standards that recognize the commercial needs of the 
trucking industry; and
     Incentives leading to the early introduction of advanced 
technologies.
    The proposed HD National Program builds on many years of heavy-duty 
engine and vehicle technology development to achieve what the agencies 
believe would be the greatest degree of GHG emission and fuel 
consumption reduction appropriate, feasible, and cost-effective for the 
model years in question. Still, by proposing to take aggressive steps 
that are reasonably possible now, based on the technological 
opportunities and pathways that present themselves during these model 
years, the agencies and industry will also continue learning about 
emerging opportunities for this complex sector to further reduce GHG 
emissions and fuel consumption. For example, NHTSA and EPA have stopped 
short of proposing fuel consumption and GHG emissions standards for 
trucks based on use of hybrid powertrain technology. Similarly, we 
expect that the agencies will participate in efforts to improve our 
ability to accurately characterize the actual in-use fuel consumption 
and emissions of this complex sector. As such opportunities emerge in 
the coming years, we expect that we will propose a second phase of 
provisions in the future to reinforce these developments and maximize 
the achieved reductions in GHG emissions and fuel consumption reduction 
for the mid- and longer-term time frame.
    In the May 21 memorandum, the President requested the 
Administrators of EPA and NHTSA to ``immediately begin work on a joint 
rulemaking under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Energy Independence 
and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) to establish fuel efficiency and 
greenhouse gas emissions standards for commercial medium- and heavy-
duty vehicles beginning with the 2014 model year (MY), with the aim of 
issuing a final rule by July 30, 2011.'' This proposed rulemaking is 
consistent with this Presidential Memorandum, with each agency 
proposing rules under its respective authority that together comprise a 
coordinated and comprehensive HD National Program.
    Heavy-duty vehicles move much of the nation's freight and carry out 
numerous other tasks, including utility work, concrete delivery, fire 
response, refuse collection, and many more. Heavy-duty vehicles are 
primarily powered by diesel engines, although about 37 percent of these 
vehicles are powered by gasoline engines. Heavy-duty trucks \5\ have 
always been an important part of the goods movement infrastructure in 
this country and have experienced significant growth over the last 
decade related to increased imports and exports of finished goods and 
increased shipping of finished goods to homes through Internet 
purchases.
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    \5\ In this rulemaking, EPA and NHTSA use the term ``truck'' in 
a general way, referring to all categories of regulated heavy-duty 
highway vehicles (including buses). As such, the term is generally 
interchangeable with ``heavy-duty vehicle.''
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    The heavy-duty sector is extremely diverse in several respects, 
including types of manufacturing companies involved, the range of sizes 
of trucks and engines they produce, the types of work the trucks are 
designed to perform, and the regulatory history of different 
subcategories of vehicles and engines. The current heavy-duty fleet 
encompasses vehicles from the ``18-wheeler'' combination tractors one 
sees on the highway to school and transit buses, to vocational vehicles 
such as utility service trucks, as well as the largest pickup trucks 
and vans.
    For purposes of this preamble, the term ``heavy-duty'' or ``HD'' is 
used to apply to all highway vehicles and engines that are not within 
the range of light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty 
passenger vehicles (MDPV) covered by the GHG and Corporate Average Fuel 
Economy (CAFE) standards issued for MY 2012-2016.\6\ It also does not 
include motorcycles. Thus, in this notice, unless specified otherwise, 
the heavy-duty category incorporates all vehicles with a gross vehicle 
weight rating above 8,500 pounds, and the engines that power them, 
except for MDPVs.\7\ We note that the Energy Independence and Security 
Act of 2007 requires NHTSA to set standards for ``commercial medium- 
and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks.'' \8\ NHTSA 
interprets this to include all segments of the heavy-duty category 
described above, except for recreational vehicles, such as motor homes, 
since recreational vehicles are not commercial.
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    \6\ Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and 
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards; Final Rule 75 FR 
25323,(May 7, 2010).
    \7\ The CAA defines heavy-duty as a truck, bus or other motor 
vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating exceeding 6,000 pounds 
(CAA section 202(b)(3)). The term HD as used in this action refers 
to a subset of these vehicles and engines.
    \8\ 49 U.S.C. 32902(k)(2). ``Commercial medium- and heavy-duty 
on-highway vehicles'' are defined as on-highway vehicles with a 
gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more, while ``work 
trucks'' are defined as vehicles rated between 8,500 and 10,000 
pounds gross vehicle weight that are not MDPVs. See 49 U.S.C. 
32901(a)(7) and (a)(19).
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    Setting GHG emissions standards for the heavy-duty sector will help 
to address climate change, which is widely viewed as a significant 
long-term threat to the global environment. As summarized in the 
Technical Support Document for EPA's Endangerment and Cause or 
Contribute Findings under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act, 
anthropogenic emissions of GHGs are very likely (a 90 to 99 percent 
probability) the cause of most of the

[[Page 74157]]

observed global warming over the last 50 years.\9\ The primary GHGs of 
concern are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), 
nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), 
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). 
Mobile sources emitted 31 percent of all U.S. GHGs in 2007 
(transportation sources, which do not include certain off-highway 
sources, account for 28 percent) and have been the fastest-growing 
source of U.S. GHGs since 1990.\10\ Mobile sources addressed in the 
recent endangerment and contribution findings under CAA section 
202(a)--light-duty vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, buses, and 
motorcycles--accounted for 23 percent of all U.S. GHG emissions in 
2007.\11\ Heavy-duty vehicles emit CO2, CH4, 
N2O, and HFCs and are responsible for nearly 19 percent of 
all mobile source GHGs (nearly 6% of all U.S. GHGs) and about 25 
percent of section 202(a) mobile source GHGs. For heavy-duty vehicles 
in 2007, CO2 emissions represented more than 99 percent of 
all GHG emissions (including HFCs).\12\
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    \9\ U.S. EPA. (2009). ``Technical Support Document for 
Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases 
Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act'' Washington, DC, 
available at Docket: EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0171-11645, and at https://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html.
    \10\ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2009. Inventory of 
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007. EPA 430-R-09-
004. Available at https://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/GHG2007entire_report-508.pdf .
    \11\ See Endangerment TSD, Note 9, above, at pp. 180-194.
    \12\ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2009. Inventory of 
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: See Note 10, above.
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    Setting fuel consumption standards for the heavy-duty sector, 
pursuant to NHTSA's EISA authority, will also improve our energy 
security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, which has been a 
national objective since the first oil price shocks in the 1970s. Net 
petroleum imports now account for approximately 60 percent of U.S. 
petroleum consumption. World crude oil production is highly 
concentrated, exacerbating the risks of supply disruptions and price 
shocks. Tight global oil markets led to prices over $100 per barrel in 
2008, with gasoline reaching as high as $4 per gallon in many parts of 
the United States, causing financial hardship for many families and 
businesses. The export of U.S. assets for oil imports continues to be 
an important component of the historically unprecedented U.S. trade 
deficits. Transportation accounts for about 72 percent of U.S. 
petroleum consumption. Heavy-duty vehicles account for about 17 percent 
of transportation oil use, which means that they alone account for 
about 12 percent of all U.S. oil consumption.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ In 2009 Source: EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2010 released May 
11, 2010.
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    In developing this joint proposal, the agencies have worked with a 
large and diverse group of stakeholders representing truck and engine 
manufacturers, trucking fleets, environmental organizations, and States 
including the State of California.\14\ While our discussions covered a 
wide range of issues and viewpoints, one widespread recommendation was 
that the two agencies should develop a common Federal program with 
consistent standards of performance regarding fuel consumption and GHG 
emissions. The HD National Program we are proposing in this notice is 
consistent with that goal. Further it is our expectation based on our 
ongoing work with the State of California that the California ARB will 
be able to adopt regulations equivalent in practice to those of this HD 
National Program, just as it has done for past EPA regulation of heavy-
duty trucks and engines. NHTSA and EPA are committed to continuing to 
work with California ARB throughout this rulemaking process to help 
ensure our final rules can lead to that outcome.
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    \14\ Pursuant to DOT Order 2100.2, NHTSA will place a memorandum 
recording those meetings that it attended and documents submitted by 
stakeholders which formed a basis for this proposal and which can be 
made publicly available in its docket for this rulemaking. DOT Order 
2100.2 is available at https://www.reg-group.com/library/DOT2100-2.PDF.
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    In light of the industry's diversity, and consistent with the 
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) as discussed 
further below, the agencies are proposing a HD National Program that 
recognizes the different sizes and work requirements of this wide range 
of heavy-duty vehicles and their engines. NHTSA's proposed fuel 
consumption standards and EPA's proposed GHG standards would apply to 
manufacturers of the following types of heavy-duty vehicles and their 
engines; the proposed provisions for each of these are described in 
more detail below in this section:
     Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans.
     Combination Tractors.
     Vocational Vehicles.
    As in the recent light-duty vehicle rule establishing CAFE and GHG 
standards for MYs 2012-2016 light-duty vehicles, EPA's and NHTSA's 
proposed standards for the heavy-duty sector are largely harmonized 
with one another due to the close and direct relationship between 
improving the fuel efficiency of these vehicles and reducing their 
CO2 tailpipe emissions. For all vehicles that consume 
carbon-based fuels, the amount of CO2 emissions is 
essentially constant per gallon for a given type of fuel that is 
consumed. The more efficient a heavy-duty truck is in completing its 
work, the lower its environmental impact will be, because the less fuel 
consumed to move cargo a given distance, the less CO2 
emitted into the air. The technologies available for improving fuel 
efficiency, and therefore for reducing both CO2 emissions 
and fuel consumption, are one and the same.\15\ Because of this close 
technical relationship, NHTSA and EPA have been able to rely on 
jointly-developed assumptions, analyses, and analytical conclusions to 
support the standards and other provisions that NHTSA and EPA are 
proposing under our separate legal authorities.
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    \15\ However, as discussed below, in addition to addressing 
CO2, the EPA's proposed standards also include provisions 
to address other GHGs (nitrous oxide, methane, and air conditioning 
refrigerant emissions), as required by the Endangerment Finding 
under the CAA. See Section II.
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    The timelines for the implementation of the proposed NHTSA and EPA 
standards are also closely coordinated. EPA's proposed GHG emission 
standards would begin in model year 2014. In order to provide for the 
four full model years of regulatory lead time required by EISA, as 
discussed in Section I.B.(5) below, NHTSA's proposed fuel consumption 
standards would be voluntary in model years 2014 and 2015, becoming 
mandatory in model year 2016, except for diesel engine standards which 
would be voluntary in model years 2014, 2015 and 2016, becoming 
mandatory in model year 2017. Both agencies are also allowing early 
compliance in model year 2013. A detailed discussion of how the 
proposed standards are consistent with each agency's respective 
statutory requirements and authorities is found later in this notice.
    Neither EPA nor NHTSA is proposing standards at this time for GHG 
emissions or fuel consumption, respectively, for heavy-duty commercial 
trailers or for vehicles or engines manufactured by small businesses. 
However, the agencies are considering proposing such standards in a 
future rulemaking, and request comment on such an action later in this 
preamble.

B. Building Blocks of the Heavy-Duty National Program

    The standards that are being proposed in this notice represent the 
first time

[[Page 74158]]

that NHTSA and EPA would regulate the heavy-duty sector for fuel 
consumption and GHG emissions, respectively. The proposed HD National 
Program is rooted in EPA's prior regulatory history, the SmartWay[reg] 
Transport Partnership program, and extensive technical and engineering 
analyses done at the Federal level. This section summarizes some of the 
most important of these precursors and foundations for this HD National 
Program.
(1) EPA's Traditional Heavy-Duty Regulatory Program
    Since the 1980s, EPA has acted several times to address tailpipe 
emissions of criteria pollutants and air toxics from heavy-duty 
vehicles and engines. During the last 18 years, these programs have 
primarily addressed emissions of particulate matter (PM) and the 
primary ozone precursors, hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen 
(NOX). These programs have successfully achieved significant 
and cost-effective reductions in emissions and associated health and 
welfare benefits to the nation. They have been structured in ways that 
account for the varying circumstances of the engine and truck 
industries. As required by the CAA, the emission standards implemented 
by these programs include standards that apply at the time that the 
vehicle or engine is sold as well as standards that apply in actual 
use. As a result of these programs, new vehicles meeting current 
emission standards will emit 98% less NOX and 99% less PM 
than new trucks 20 years ago. The resulting emission reductions provide 
significant public health and welfare benefits. The most recent EPA 
regulations which were fully phased-in in 2010 are projected to provide 
greater than $70 billion in health and welfare benefits annually in 
2030 alone (66 FR 5002, January 18, 2001).
    EPA's overall program goal has always been to achieve emissions 
reductions from the complete vehicles that operate on our highways. The 
agency has often accomplished this goal for many heavy-duty truck 
categories through the regulation of heavy-duty engine emissions. A key 
part of this success has been the development over many years of a 
well-established, representative, and robust set of engine test 
procedures that industry and EPA now routinely use to measure emissions 
and determine compliance with emission standards. These test procedures 
in turn serve the overall compliance program that EPA implements to 
help ensure that emissions reductions are being achieved. By isolating 
the engine from the many variables involved when the engine is 
installed and operated in a HD vehicle, EPA has been able to accurately 
address the contribution of the engine alone to overall emissions. The 
agencies discuss below how the proposed program incorporates the 
existing engine-based approach used for criteria emissions regulations, 
as well as new vehicle-based approaches.
(2) NHTSA's Responsibilities To Regulate Heavy-Duty Fuel Efficiency 
Under EISA
    With the passage of the EISA in December 2007, Congress laid out a 
framework developing the first fuel efficiency regulations for HD 
vehicles. As codified at 49 U.S.C. 32902(k), EISA requires NHTSA to 
develop a regulatory system for the fuel economy of commercial medium-
duty and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work trucks in three steps: 
A study by NAS, a study by NHTSA, and a rulemaking to develop the 
regulations themselves.\16\
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    \16\ The NAS study is described below, and the NHTSA study 
accompanies this NPRM.
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    Specifically, section 102 of EISA, codified at 49 U.S.C. 
32902(k)(2), states that not later than two years after completion of 
the NHTSA study, DOT (by delegation, NHTSA), in consultation with the 
Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA, shall develop a regulation to 
implement a ``commercial medium-duty and heavy-duty on-highway vehicle 
and work truck fuel efficiency improvement program designed to achieve 
the maximum feasible improvement.'' NHTSA interprets the timing 
requirements as permitting a regulation to be developed earlier, rather 
than as requiring the agency to wait a specified period of time.
    Congress specified that as part of the ``HD fuel efficiency 
improvement program designed to achieve the maximum feasible 
improvement,'' NHTSA must adopt and implement:
     Appropriate test methods;
     Measurement metrics;
     Fuel economy standards; \17\ and
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    \17\ In the context of 49 U.S.C. 32902(k), NHTSA interprets 
``fuel economy standards'' as referring not specifically to miles 
per gallon, as in the light-duty vehicle context, but instead more 
broadly to account as accurately as possible for MD/HD fuel 
efficiency. While it is a metric that NHTSA considered for setting 
MD/HD fuel efficiency standards, the agency recognizes that miles 
per gallon may not be an appropriate metric given the work that MD/
HD vehicles are manufactured to do. NHTSA is thus proposing 
alternative metrics as discussed further below.
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     Compliance and enforcement protocols.
    Congress emphasized that the test methods, measurement metrics, 
standards, and compliance and enforcement protocols must all be 
appropriate, cost-effective, and technologically feasible for 
commercial medium-duty and heavy-duty on-highway vehicles and work 
trucks. NHTSA notes that these criteria are different from the ``four 
factors'' of 49 U.S.C. 32902(f) \18\ that have long governed NHTSA's 
setting of fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks, 
although many of the same factors are considered under each of these 
provisions.
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    \18\ 49 U.S.C. 32902(f) states that ``When deciding maximum 
feasible average fuel economy under this section, [NHTSA] shall 
consider technological feasibility, economic practicability, the 
effect of other motor vehicle standards of the Government on fuel 
economy, and the need of the United States to conserve energy.''
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    Congress also stated that NHTSA may set separate standards for 
different classes of HD vehicles, which the agency interprets broadly 
to allow regulation of HD engines in addition to HD vehicles, and 
provided requirements new to 49 U.S.C. 32902 in terms of timing of 
regulations, stating that the standards adopted as a result of the 
agency's rulemaking shall provide not less than four full model years 
of regulatory lead time, and three full model years of regulatory 
stability.
(3) National Academy of Sciences Report on Heavy-Duty Technology
    As mandated by Congress in EISA, the National Research Council 
(NRC) under NAS recently issued a report to NHTSA and to Congress 
evaluating medium-duty and heavy-duty truck fuel efficiency improvement 
opportunities, titled ``Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the 
Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles.'' \19\ This study 
covers the same universe of heavy-duty vehicles that is the focus of 
this proposed rulemaking--all highway vehicles that are not light-duty, 
MDPVs, or motorcycles. The agencies have carefully evaluated the 
research supporting this report and its recommendations and have 
incorporated them to the extent practicable in the development of this 
rulemaking. NHTSA's and EPA's detailed assessments of each of the 
relevant recommendations of the NAS

[[Page 74159]]

report are discussed in Section X of this preamble and in the NHTSA HD 
study accompanying this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ Committee to Assess Fuel Economy Technologies for Medium- 
and Heavy-Duty Vehicles; National Research Council; Transportation 
Research Board (2010). ``Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the 
Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles,'' (hereafter, 
``NAS Report''). Washington, DC, The National Academies Press. 
Available electronically from the National Academies Press Web site 
at https://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record--id=12845 (last accessed 
September 10, 2010).
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(4) The Recent NHTSA and EPA Light-Duty National GHG Program
    On April 1, 2010, EPA and NHTSA finalized the first-ever National 
Program for light-duty cars and trucks, which set GHG emissions and 
fuel economy standards for model years 2012-2016. The agencies have 
used the light-duty National Program as a model for this proposed HD 
National Program in many respects. This is most apparent in the case of 
heavy-duty pickups and vans, which are very similar to the light-duty 
trucks addressed in the light-duty National Program both 
technologically as well as in terms of how they are manufactured (i.e., 
the same company often makes both the vehicle and the engine). For 
these vehicles, there are close parallels to the light-duty program in 
how the agencies have developed our respective proposed standards and 
compliance structures, although in this proposal each agency proposes 
standards based on attributes other than vehicle footprint, as 
discussed below.
    Due to the diversity of the remaining HD vehicles, there are fewer 
parallels with the structure of the light-duty program. However, the 
agencies have maintained the same collaboration and coordination that 
characterized the development of the light-duty program. Most notably, 
as with the light-duty program, manufacturers will be able to design 
and build to meet a closely coordinated Federal program, and avoid 
unnecessarily duplicative testing and compliance burdens.
(5) EPA's SmartWay Program
    EPA's voluntary SmartWay Transport Partnership program encourages 
shipping and trucking companies to take actions that reduce fuel 
consumption and CO2 by working with the shipping community 
and the freight sector to identify low carbon strategies and 
technologies, and by providing technical information, financial 
incentives, and partner recognition to accelerate the adoption of these 
strategies. Through the SmartWay program, EPA has worked closely with 
truck manufacturers and truck fleets to develop test procedures to 
evaluate vehicle and component performance in reducing fuel consumption 
and has conducted testing and has established test programs to verify 
technologies that can achieve these reductions. Over the last six 
years, EPA has developed hands-on experience testing the largest heavy-
duty trucks and evaluating improvements in tire and vehicle aerodynamic 
performance. In 2010, according to vehicle manufacturers, approximately 
five percent of new combination heavy-duty trucks will meet the 
SmartWay performance criteria demonstrating that they represent the 
pinnacle of current heavy-duty truck reductions in fuel consumption.
    In developing this HD National Program, the agencies have drawn 
from the SmartWay experience, as discussed in detail both in Sections 
II and III below (e.g., developing test procedures to evaluate trucks 
and truck components) but also in the draft RIA (estimating performance 
levels from the application of the best available technologies 
identified in the SmartWay program). These technologies provide part of 
the basis for the GHG emission and fuel consumption standards proposed 
in this rulemaking for certain types of new heavy-duty Class 7 and 8 
combination tractors.
    In addition to identifying technologies, the SmartWay program 
includes operational approaches that truck fleet owners as well as 
individual drivers and their freight customers can incorporate, that 
the NHTSA and EPA believe will complement the proposed standards. These 
include such approaches as improved logistics and driver training, as 
discussed in the draft RIA. This approach is consistent with the one of 
the three alternative approaches that the NAS recommended be 
considered. The three approaches were raising fuel taxes, liberalizing 
truck size and weight restrictions, and encouraging incentives to 
disseminate information to inform truck drivers about the relationship 
between driving behavior and fuel savings. Taxes and truck size and 
weight limits are mandated by public law; as such, these options are 
outside EPA's and NHTSA's authority to implement. However, 
complementary operational measures like driver training, which SmartWay 
does promote, can complement the proposed standards and also provide 
benefits for the existing truck fleet, furthering the public policy 
objectives of addressing energy security and climate change.
(6.) Canada's Department of the Environment
    The Government of Canada's Department of the Environment 
(Environment Canada) assisted EPA's development of this proposed 
rulemaking, by conducting emissions testing of heavy-duty vehicles at 
Environment Canada test facilities to gather data on a range of 
possible test cycles.
    We expect the technical collaboration with Environment Canada to 
continue as we address issues raised by stakeholders in response to 
this NPRM, and as we continue to develop details of certain testing and 
compliance verification procedures. We may also be able to begin to 
develop a knowledge base enabling improvement upon this regulatory 
framework for model years beyond 2018 (for example, improvements to the 
means of demonstrating compliance). We also expect to continue our 
collaboration with Environment Canada on compliance issues.

C. Summary of the Proposed EPA and NHTSA HD National Program

    When EPA first addressed emissions from heavy-duty trucks in the 
1980s, it established standards for engines, based on the amount of 
work performed (grams of pollutant per unit of work, expressed as grams 
per brake horsepower-hour or g/bhp-hr).\20\ This approach recognized 
the fact that engine characteristics are the dominant determinant of 
the types of emissions generated, and engine-based technologies 
(including exhaust aftertreatment systems) need to be the focus for 
addressing those emissions. Vehicle-based technologies, in contrast, 
have less influence on overall truck emissions of the pollutants that 
EPA has regulated in the past. The engine testing approach also 
recognized the relatively small number of distinct heavy-duty engine 
designs, as compared to the extremely wide range of truck designs. EPA 
concluded at that time that any incremental gain in conventional 
emission control that could be achieved through regulation of the 
complete vehicle would be small in comparison to the cost of addressing 
the many variants of complete trucks that make up the heavy-duty 
sector--smaller and larger vocational vehicles for dozens of purposes, 
various designs of combination tractors, and many others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ The term ``brake power'' refers to engine torque and power 
as measured at the interface between the engine's output shaft and 
the dynamometer. This contrasts with ``indicated power'', which is a 
calculated value based on the pressure dynamics in the combustion 
chamber, not including internal losses that occur due to friction 
and pumping work. Since the measurement procedure inherently 
measures brake torque and power, the proposed regulations refer 
simply to g/hp-hr. This is consistent with our other emission 
control programs, which generally include standards in g/kW-hr.
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    Addressing GHG emissions and fuel consumption from heavy-duty 
trucks, however, requires a different approach. Reducing GHG emissions 
and fuel consumption requires increasing the

[[Page 74160]]

inherent efficiency of the engine as well as making changes to the 
vehicles to reduce the amount of work that the engine needs to do per 
mile traveled. This thus requires a focus on the entire vehicle. For 
example, in addition to the basic emissions and fuel consumption levels 
of the engine, the aerodynamics of the vehicle can have a major impact 
on the amount of work that must be performed to transport freight at 
common highway speeds. The 2010 NAS Report recognized this need and 
recommended a complete-vehicle approach to regulation. As described 
elsewhere in this preamble, the proposed standards that make up the HD 
National Program aim to address the complete vehicle, to the extent 
practicable and appropriate under the agencies' respective statutory 
authorities, through complementary engine and vehicle standards, in 
order to reduce the complexity of the regulatory system and achieve the 
greatest gains as soon as possible.
(1) Brief Overview of the Heavy-Duty Truck Industry
    The heavy-duty truck sector spans a wide range of vehicles with 
often unique form and function. A primary indicator of the extreme 
diversity among heavy-duty trucks is the range of load-carrying 
capability across the industry. The heavy-duty truck sector is often 
subdivided by vehicle weight classifications, as defined by the 
vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is a measure of the 
combined curb (empty) weight and cargo carrying capacity of the 
truck.\21\ Table I-1 below outlines the vehicle weight classifications 
commonly used for many years for a variety of purposes by businesses 
and by several Federal agencies, including the Department of 
Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
Commerce, and the Internal Revenue Service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ GVWR describes the maximum load that can be carried by a 
vehicle, including the weight of the vehicle itself. Heavy-duty 
vehicles also have a gross combined weight rating (GCWR), which 
describes the maximum load that the vehicle can haul, including the 
weight of a loaded trailer and the vehicle itself.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP30NO10.001

    In the framework of these vehicle weight classifications, the 
heavy-duty truck sector refers to Class 2b through Class 8 vehicles and 
the engines that power those vehicles.\22\ Unlike light-duty vehicles, 
which are primarily used for transporting passengers for personal 
travel, heavy-duty vehicles fill much more diverse operator needs. 
Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans (Classes 2b and 3) are used chiefly 
as work truck and vans, and as shuttle vans, as well as for personal 
transportation, with an average annual mileage in the range of 15,000 
miles. The rest of the heavy-duty sector is used for carrying cargo 
and/or performing specialized tasks. Commercial ``vocational'' 
vehicles, which may span Classes 2b through 8, vary widely in size, 
including smaller and larger van trucks, utility ``bucket'' trucks, 
tank trucks, refuse trucks, urban and over-the-road buses, fire trucks, 
flat-bed trucks, and dump trucks, among others. The annual mileage of 
these trucks is as varied as their uses, but for the most part tends to 
fall in between heavy-duty pickups/vans and the large combination 
tractors, typically from 15,000 to 150,000 miles per year, although 
some travel more and some less. Class 7 and 8 combination tractor-
trailers--some equipped with sleeper cabs and some not--are primarily 
used for freight transportation. They are sold as tractors and 
sometimes run without a trailer in between loads, but most of the time 
they run with one or more trailers that can carry up to 50,000 pounds 
or more of payload, consuming significant quantities of fuel and 
producing significant amounts of GHG emissions. The combination 
tractor-trailers used in combination applications can travel more than 
150,000 miles per year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ Class 2b vehicles designed as passenger vehicles (Medium 
Duty Passenger Vehicles, MDPVs) are covered by the light-duty GHG 
and fuel economy standards and not addressed in this rulemaking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA and NHTSA have designed our respective proposed standards in 
careful consideration of the diversity and complexity of the heavy-duty 
truck industry, as discussed next.
(2) Summary of Proposed EPA GHG Emission Standards and NHTSA Fuel 
Consumption Standards
    As described above, NHTSA and EPA recognize the importance of 
addressing the entire vehicle in reducing fuel consumption and GHG 
emissions. At the same time, the agencies understand that the 
complexity of the industry means that we will need to use different 
approaches to achieve this goal, depending on the characteristics of 
each general type of truck. We are therefore proposing to divide the 
industry into three discrete regulatory categories for purposes of 
setting our respective standards--combination tractors, heavy-duty 
pickups and vans, and vocational vehicles--based on the relative degree 
of homogeneity among trucks within each category. For each regulatory 
category, the agencies are proposing related but distinct program 
approaches reflecting the specific challenges that we see for 
manufacturers in these segments. In the following paragraphs, we 
discuss EPA's proposed GHG emission standards and NHTSA's proposed fuel 
consumption standards for the three regulatory categories of heavy-duty 
vehicles and their engines.
    The agencies are proposing test metrics that express fuel 
consumptio