Last Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its “Phase 3” rule aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from heavy–duty trucks, including concrete mixer trucks, dump trucks and tankers, to name a few. The new standard begins with model year (MY) 2027 vehicles through MY 2032. According to EPA, the “standards are technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing each manufacturer to choose what set of emissions control technologies is best suited for them and the needs of their customers.”

While the initial Phase 3 proposal focused heavily on electrification of heavy–duty vehicles as means for reducing GHGs, NRMCA and its industry partners strongly countered EPA’s assumptions about the capability of such technologies and their effectiveness with heavy–duty truck configurations, functions and power demands. In light of these realities and those posed by numerous other heavy–duty truck stakeholders, EPA softened its stance in favor of allowing more combinations of different technologies to reach their GHG reduction goals.

Click here to review the final Phase 3 rule. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.