http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2016/08/16/emission-rules-trucks/88768032/

Feds release new heavy-truck emission rules

(Photo: Eric Risberg, Associated Press)

The specter of smoke-belching freight-hauling trucks should nearly be banished from the nation's highways over the next decade under new rules issued today by the federal government.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released their final Phase II regulations for fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions for heavy-duty vehicles. That takes in a broad range from larger pickup trucks such as the Ford Super Duty, the Ram 2500 and the Chevrolet Silverado HD to the largest tractor-trailer rigs on the road.

The standards will be phased in between the 2021 and 2027 model years.

"Manufacturers are innovating and developing new technologies at a faster pace than we expected," said Dan Utech, deputy assistant to President Obama for climate change and energy. "We believe these standards will result in a 1.1 million ton reduction in carbon emissions over the period they take effect."

► Related: Showdown erupts over federal emissions, fuel economy rules

The standards come after a year during which industry officials, suppliers, environmentalists and the public offered comments and suggestions.

Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, acknowledged that the standards will increase costs for fleet operators in the near term, but that those operating tractor-trailers should recoup those costs in about two years. Owners of large pickup trucks and vans should achieve payback in about three years.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has estimated that additional cost at an average of $14,000 per truck.

Several executives of companies most directly affected by the new rules express support.

"The continued focus on Improving fuel efficiency will unlock new innovations that protect our environment and spur economic growth," said Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.

David Steiner, CEO of Waste Management, which operates the largest fleet of refuse vehicles in North America, also said he supports the rules.

"Having invested in about 6,000 natural gas trucks so far, we've already seen the benefits of new advanced technologies and have eliminated the need for 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year, per vehicle," Steiner said.

Heavy-duty trucks are the second largest and fastest growing segment of the U.S. transportation system, measured by their emissions and energy use. Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles currently account for about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the country, but are only about 5% of the vehicle population.

The proposed standards will apply to trucks sold between model years 2021 and 2027. Their goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by about 1 billion metric tons, cut fuel costs by about $170 billion and cut oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles subject to the regulations.

Some environmentalists had pushed for the rules to address not just carbon dioxide emissions, but also those of nitrous oxide (NOx).

"California and the Northeast states have a NOx urban smog problem," said Bill Van Amburg, senior vice president of CALSTART, a group of 140 firms, fleet operators and agencies worldwide dedicated to supporting a clean transportation industry. "It’s clear there’s going to be a separate discussion on NOx at a later date.

"The two agencies have set the standards, but it gives the industry flexibility in how to meet it."

In the end the agencies took more of a wait-and-see approach on that in order to focus more on cutting greenhouse gases.

Among the suppliers in Michigan who develop technology that will be used to meet these new rules are Eaton (Southfield and Galesburg) — advanced transmissions; Meritor (Troy) — drivelines, axles, differentials and advanced collision avoidance,  and Achates Power (Farmington Hills) — opposed piston engines.