VISION
The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) is committed to a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) future, cleaner air, and healthier communities. EMA also is committed to partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other stakeholders to develop and implement federal policies that can facilitate those goals.
EMA seeks to further reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from heavy-duty, on-highway trucks through the Clean Trucks Plan without diverting the resources needed for ZEV research and development. This goal will require the development of a workable, cost-effective rule that:
Establishes a final, single-step nationwide standard to reduce NOx emissions that is effective that is effective, affordable, and customer-acceptable, with an eye on fostering a path to ZEVs through a subsequent GHG Phase 3 rulemaking.
Promotes fleet turnover that is essential to achieving environmental goals and and avoids circumstances that would result in older, higher-emitting trucks remaining on the road longer, disproportionately harming high-pollution communities near highways, ports, and truck routes and hurting U.S. manufacturing jobs because of marketplace disruptions.
Assures continued availability of a wide range of durable, commercially proven heavy-duty trucks that meet the market’s needs.
Proves technologically feasible for manufacturers, enabling them to certify for real-world emission levels over effective useful life periods and warranty requirements, not just in controlled laboratory test cycles.
Prioritizes further GHG emission reductions through a Phase 3 rulemaking, rather than re-opening Phase 2 GHG rule, which would undermine regulatory stability and market certainty by creating competing compliance challenges and exacerbate already increasing costs to reduce NOx emissions.
Allows manufacturers to target ZEV product development investments without diverting investment from ZEVs to conventionally fueled technologies.
Industry stakeholders support workable, customer-acceptable regulations that will advance clean air goals without inhibiting fleet turnover or delaying progress toward the ultimate goal of zero emissions.
ZEV ROADMAP
EMA supports EPA’s efforts to further reduce emissions and asks that a national NOx rule serve as a bridge to the zero-emission future. A correlating national ZEV infrastructure and incentive investment strategy would deliver outsized environmental benefits. EMA urges the federal government to:
Develop, fund, and implement a national charging/fueling infrastructure, including electricity charging stations and hydrogen fuel availability, so the U.S. trucking industry can broadly embrace ZEVs.
Establish adequate national funding (aligned with infrastructure funding) for the ZEV purchase incentives needed to offset higher ZEV costs and help spur widespread adoption.
Build upon existing regulatory structures to phase-in performance standards (not technology mandates) over time that progressively drive greater adoption of ZEVs, while rewarding early ZEV sales by allowing them to generate NOx and GHG credits.