GBRCCC

The “Question of the Month” is published monthly by The Clean Cities Technical Response Service (TRS) and answers a frequently asked question received by the TRS.

Question: What are the federal emissions and fuel economy standards for current and future on-road vehicles? Have any related emissions and fuel regulations been passed recently?

Answer: Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards set requirements for new light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle models with the goal of improving theoverall fuel efficiency and environmental impact. Fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles were introduced inthe Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975; regulations were established for on-road vehicles beginning with Model Year (MY) 1978. EPCA grants the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to regulate CAFE standards, with the requirement that new standards may not be proposed more than five model years at a time.

In 2010, NHTSA partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue the first joint program that includes both fuel economy requirements under NHTSA’s CAFE program and emissions standards under EPA’s GHG emissions program. Starting with MY 2012 vehicles, manufacturers are required to improve fleet-wide fuel economy and reduce fleet-wide GHG emissions by approximately 5% each year. By 2016, vehicles must meet an estimated combined average emissions level of no more than 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. If the industry met this carbon dioxide standard solely through fuel economy improvements, vehicles would have an average fuel economy of35.5 miles per gallon (mpg). For more information, see the EPA fact sheet: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations/420f10014.pdf.

NHTSA and EPA established the CAFE and GHG emissions standards for MY 2017 through MY 2025 passenger cars and light-duty trucks in 2012 in two phases, which are broken down as follows:

*Proposed, pending final rule

For more information, refer to the EPA fact sheet: http://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/documents/420f12051.pdf.

In 2011, NHTSA and EPA set the first-ever standards to reduce GHG emissions and improve fuel efficiency ofmedium- and heavy-duty vehicles (vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds). Thestandards cover MY 2014 through MY 2018 on-road vehicles and are tailored to each of three main regulatory subcategories:

• Combination tractors (also known as semi trucks);
• Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans; and
• Vocational vehicles (such as delivery, refuse, and tow trucks; transit, shuttle, and school buses; and emergency vehicles).

The requirements provide flexibility through an emissions and fuel consumption credit system to help reduce theoverall costs of the program and to allow manufacturers time to make necessary technological improvements.

For more information on fuel economy and GHG emissions standards, refer to the NHTSA CAFE – Fuel Economy (http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy/), EPA Transportation and Climate (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations.htm), and FuelEconomy.gov (http://fueleconomy.gov/) websites.

On March 29, 2013, EPA announced their Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program, which includes more stringent tailpipe emissions standards for non-methane organic gas (NMOG), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM); more stringent evaporative vehicle emissions; and lower sulfur content of gasoline. This proposal aligns vehicle standards with the GHG emissions standards outlined above, as well as the California Low Emission Vehicle Program (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/law/CA/6493), allowing automakers to sell the same vehicle models in every state. The standards would apply to light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles and include different phase-in schedules based on vehicle class from MY 2017 to MY 2025. The proposed gasoline sulfur standard would make emission control systems more effective for both existing and new vehicles. For more information, refer to the proposed rule (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/documents/tier3/tier3-nprm-20130329.pdf) andthe EPA Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program website (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3.htm).

For more up-to-date information about federal and state vehicle standards, refer to the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Federal Incentives and Laws website (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/fed_summary).

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team

technicalresponse@icfi.com

800-254-6735

Monday @ Sonic on Highland Road

The Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition (GBRCCC) would like to welcome the MINDDRIVE team to Baton Rouge. This team of high school students from Kansas City, MO have converted a 1977 Lotus Esprit into an electric (EV) vehicle. As part of their 2,400 mile cross country tour, they will be stopping at the Sonic Drive In on Highland Road at I10 on Monday, June 18th at 6:30PM for a press conference and to show off their car.

Quick Facts:

Who:  High School Students from Kansas City, MO Journey:  2,400 mile journey from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL

The Car: A prototype ultra-high-efficiency plug-in electric vehicle that they designed and built from a 1977 Lotus Espirit

The Program:  The group, MINDDRIVE, is an educational program for at-risk urban high school students focused on hands-on activities in an automotive design class.  After a successful trip in 2010, this year’s class is making the trip to showcase the benefits of EVs and their accomplishment of designing a fully electric vehicle

Learn more about MINDDRIVE and their mission: www.minddrive.org

Related article

• MINDDRIVE’S Electric Car Project Seeks National Sponsorships for Coast-To-Coast Demonstration Run (prweb.com)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 The World Health Organization’s cancer agency officially declared in a ruling that Diesel fumes cause cancer. The Science panel raised the status of diesel exhaust from “probable carcinogen” to carcinogen.

WHO: Diesel fumes cause cancer | Business | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA.

Clean Cities Diesel Emission Reduction Programs

Clean Cities helps vehicle fleets and consumers reduce their petroleum use. Clean Cities builds partnerships with local and statewide organizations in the public and private sectors to adopt:

• Alternative and renewable fuels
• Idle-reduction measures
• Fuel economy improvements
• New transportation technologies, as they emerge.

To learn more, contact your local Clean Cities Coordinator gbrccc@gmail.com.

What are the average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)? How do these emissions compare to conventional vehicles?

Answer: In addition to reducing petroleum consumption, EVs and PHEVs have the potential to reduce pollutant emissions, resulting in environmental and human health benefits. Vehicle emissions can be characterized as:

* Upstream: Emissions from the production of the vehicle fuel (e.g., electricity).

* Tailpipe: Emissions produced by a vehicle while operating.

* Well-to-wheel: The combination of upstream and tailpipe emissions.

EV Emissions EVs are often referred to as “zero emission vehicles,” meaning they do not emit any tailpipe emissions. Therefore, the well-to-wheel GHG emissions associated with EV operation are entirely dependent on the source that is used to produce the electricity that powers the vehicle. Emissions from electricity production depend on the efficiency of the power plant and the types of fuel sources used. Based on the U.S. average electricity production fuel mix, the GHG emissions are lower for an EV using electricity generated from power plants than a vehicle running on gasoline or diesel. If electricity is generated from nonpolluting, renewable sources, EVs have the potential to produce no well-to-wheel GHG emissions. On the other hand, EVs powered by electricity generated using coal have the potential to produce more well-to-wheel GHG emissions than gasoline vehicles, depending on the power source.

To determine your region’s specific fuel mix, as well as the emissions rates of electricity based on your zip code, see the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Power Profiler (http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html). While factors such as the time of day and season can affect which specific power plant (and fuel mix) provides the vehicle’s electricity, these average emissions rates help approximate the impact of these vehicles. PHEV Emissions PHEVs typically operate either in all-electric mode or using an internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric drivetrain in a manner similar to a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The emissions vary based on the percent of time that the vehicle is in each operating mode. When operating in all-electric mode, emissions are considered from the source that produced the electricity. When the vehicle’s ICE is running, both the upstream and tailpipe emissions must be taken into account. The tailpipe emissions will vary depending on vehicle efficiency.

Comparing EV and PHEV Emissions to ICE Vehicle Emissions

The following table estimates the well-to-wheel GHG emissions associated with a 100-mile trip in four comparable compact sedans, based on the national average for electricity production emissions. Vehicle GHG Emissions (pounds of CO2 equivalent) EV 54 lb CO2e PHEV 62 lb CO2e HEV 57 lb CO2e Conventional Gasoline 87 lb CO2e The Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicle Data Center (AFDC) Compare Electricity Sources and Annual Vehicle Emissions tool (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/electric_emissions.php) allows users to determine an estimate for annual well-to-wheel GHG emissions for an EV, PHEV, HEV, and conventional gasoline vehicle based on the electricity production fuel mix in their area.

In addition, Fueleconomy.gov and EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide (http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Index.do) provide annual emissions estimates for individual vehicle models.

Thanks to the ICF Technical Response Service for another great Q&A!