The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have finalized their “National Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Improve Fuel Economy for Cars and Trucks,” according to information from the Automotive Service Association (ASA).
California, followed by 13 other states, has already set vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) limits. The administration advocates that this initiative aims to clean the air we breathe, strengthen the automotive industry, create new jobs and decrease the amount that consumers pay at the pump.
The new standards apply to new passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles, covering model years 2012 through 2016. The EPA GHG standards require these vehicles to meet an estimated combined average emissions level of 250 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile in model year 2016, equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) if the automotive industry were to meet this CO2 level all through fuel economy improvements.
California had included a super warranty initiative in its original clean car program. Several of the 13 states that followed California’s GHG initiative also included the super warranty language. The ASA opposes super warranties as established by the state of California. Clean car programs that are practical and cost effective should be considered by regulators, not programs that harm small businesses and have a long-term negative impact on consumers.
ASA also says that the new refrigerant regulation for the substitute HFO-1234f should also become final this year. ASA and several hundred of its members filed formal comments with the EPA for the HFO-1234f proposal asking that the final regulation include restrictions on the use of this substitute, specifically requesting that only trained, appropriately equipped professionals be allowed to use HFO-1234f.
To view the final rule, visit ASA’s legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.
