This paper proposes to US EPA a regulatory approach that offers high certainty of reaching near-term goals for deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) and sets the stage for the longer-term transition to zero-emission HDVs. The approach could achieve two interrelated goals: major reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) from heavy-duty (HD) vehicles, and the start of the transition to zero-emission MD and HD vehicles of all types. These goals are consistent with President Biden’s call for new standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles. If designed appropriately, our proposals could jump-start the national transition to electric heavy-duty vehicles and take advantage of the infrastructure investments and fiscal policies the president is pursuing through legislation.
New motor vehicle standards are one of several effective policies to support the transition to a zero-emission fleet. For many decades US EPA set new vehicle emission standards under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, focusing on the incremental improvement of internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. The result has been steadily cleaner ambient air and significant public health and welfare benefits. But the urgency of the climate crisis suggests the need for deeper, more rapid, and more sustained emission reductions than those delivered by previous vehicle and engine standards. This need points to the role of zero-emission powertrains as a leapfrog solution over continued incremental improvements. Delivering the technology transition to zero-emission powertrains in the commercial truck and bus fleet requires an effective adaptation of the existing U.S. regulatory framework for internal combustion engines and the vehicles they power.
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