The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are jointly proposing a national program that would establish a second phase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Building on the success of the Phase 1 standards, this technology-advancing program would significantly reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption from a wide range of on-road vehicles – from semi-trucks and their trailers to the largest pickup trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of work trucks and buses.
The proposed Phase 2 program would cut GHG emissions by approximately 1 billion metric tons, conserve approximately 1.8 billion barrels of oil, and lower fuel costs by about $170 billion over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program. This new phase of the national program would also benefit consumers and businesses by reducing the costs for transporting goods while spurring innovation in the clean energy technology sector.
