Explainer
EPA Phase 3 Rule Overview By Jonah Kasdan May 2024
CALSTART’s Trucks and NonRoad Vehicle Initiative works to keep goods and services moving while reducing air pollution and climate change, growing jobs, and increasing energy security. The Trucks Initiative uses four strategies to drive change: helping fleets reduce the risk and cost of purchasing the cleanest trucks and equipment; partnering with industry and public agencies to develop the next generation of heavy-duty near-zero and zero-emission technologies; validating the performance and business case of clean vehicles to support fleet acceptance; and working with industry partners to craft smart regulations, policies, and funding for near-zero and zeroemission trucks and equipment.
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EPA Phase 3 Rule Overview
In late March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule that sets Phase 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) and aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from trucks, buses, and other large vehicles. The standards are the strictest set of GHG regulations for HDVs that the federal government has ever enacted. They are expected to significantly cut GHG emissions from the HDV sector and yield billions of dollars in climate, health, and economic benefits. Although strict, the rule also contains many flexibilities and provisions that may dampen its impact on zeroemission vehicle (ZEV) deployment and emissions reductions. The Phase 3 standards begin to phase in in model year (MY) 2027 and increase in stringency annually through MY 2032. The rule does not set standards for non-GHG pollutants such as soot and smogforming pollutants, which are addressed under another rule. It is also not a ZEV mandate. The standards are technology neutral and give original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) flexibility to achieve CO2 emissions reductions. The rule also does not affect consumers directly; it is targeted only at OEMs, who are responsible for ensuring that the vehicles they produce and sell into the U.S. market comply with the standards.
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