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EPA Report Shows Most US Light Duty Vehicles Meeting Tier 2 Bin Standards With Significant Compliance Margin
8 November 2008
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| Average compliance margins for the MY 2007 light-duty fleet for Tier 2 Bins 3, 5, and 8. Click to enlarge. |
Most light-duty vehicles in the US are meeting the Tier 2 Bin standards with significant compliance margins (the difference between actual tested emission levels and the standard) ranging from 46% to 90% depending upon the pollutant, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA’s) Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ’s) first annual report on environmental compliance data from all mobile sources.
The Tier 2 emissions standards required 100% phase-in by MY 2007. Manufacturers are to deliver fleet compliance across different Bins that to meet the average Tier 2 Bin 5 standard. Manufacturers can produce vehicles that over-comply with the average standard to generate credits to be used during a later compliance period or sell them to other manufacturers that produce vehicles or engines that do not meet the average standard.
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| Percentage of test groups per Bin. Click to enlarge. |
Of approximately 40 vehicle manufacturers, five (Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota) had a positive Tier 2 emission limit credit balance for MY 2007, with one manufacturer (Aston Martin) having a small deficit or negative credit.
Manufacturers with credits tended to certify the majority of their vehicles to the Tier 2 NOx fleet average requirement of Bin 5 and the rest of their fleet to lower bins such as Bin 4 and Bin 3 that have more stringent emission standards, said the EPA.
The remaining manufacturers, the report said, did not have any credits because they either certified all of their vehicles to Bin 5 or traded more stringent lower bin vehicles with less stringent higher bin vehicles such that they cancelled each other out, resulting in meeting the Tier 2 NOx fleet average requirement of Bin 5 exactly.
The 2007 model year report provides information about vehicle recalls, emissions certification testing, and emission defects. Data published in the report include test results from model year (MY) 2007 certification activities plus other types of compliance reports and test results produced during calendar year 2007.
Sales data presented in the report are based on MY 2006 sales because MY 2007 sales data were not yet available at the time of publication. National emissions inventory data are also for 2006, as those were the most recent data at the time of publication.
The data presented in this report highlight four areas in EPA’s oversight of vehicle and engine emissions.
OTAQ’s certification and compliance programs are growing. In 2007, OTAQ issued more than 3,500 certificates of conformity to vehicle and engine manufacturers, with this number projected to significantly increase in the next few years.
Light-duty vehicles are being certified at very clean levels, with most vehicles meeting the Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions requirements with a significant compliance margin as well.
OTAQ has expanded certification and compliance activity to address new regulations, new technologies, new manufacturers, and new regulatory flexibilities, as well as new challenges due to growth in imports. These new programs are derived from EPA testing as well as analysis of data provided to the Agency under manufacturer-run, in-field testing programs. In coming years, this expansion will be particularly important in the newer non-road and heavy-duty areas.
OTAQ compliance activities are important to achieving the air quality benefits promised by emissions regulations. Even in the relatively mature light-duty area, more than 2.5 million vehicles were affected by emissions-related voluntary recalls in 2007.
The report highlights that for light-duty vehicles and smaller light-duty trucks, the Tier 2 NOx fleet average standard of 0.07 g/mi was fully implemented in 2007. For larger light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles, this was the last year that these vehicles could comply exclusively with the Interim Non-Tier 2 NOx fleet average standard of 0.20 g/mi. Light-duty vehicles are now being certified at very clean levels, with most vehicles meeting the Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions requirements.
The year also saw EPA issue certificates for the first Tier 2 Bin 8 diesel vehicle (Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec) and the first heavy-duty vehicle compliant with the new stringent 2010 heavy-duty 0.2 g/mi NOx emission standards (Dodge Ram 2500/3500 with the 6.7-liter Cummins engine). The Dodge Ram was also the first chassis-certified heavy-duty vehicle. EPA also published guidance describing certification procedures for light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty engines that use selective catalyst reduction technologies.
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November 8, 2008 in Emissions | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: SuperEnviroDude | November 08, 2008 at 07:25 PM
The USA has forced the technology to be developed to clean up ICE engines, (and easily applied to ECEs as well), to a greater degree than is generally recognized.
It has imposed in effect, an enormous tax on US automakers to research, develop, design and manufacture autos much cleaner than required anywhere else in the world.
The Green Phonies in Europe with their lax emissions regulations are pikers in comparison, although they bray incessantly about their "concern" for the environment.
In practice, the requirements for staying clean for extended periods, like 150,000 miles, has required a much better than required clean up.
This is an unheralded success. We should be proud of the cleanup of the ICE engine. Production automobiles are achieving T2 B3 or better emissions levels routinely, as the accompanying diagram shows.
This research report is buttressed and confirmed by the CARB; that organization has certified for the 2008 model year, now passing, over 56 car models that it defines as "Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles", or PZEV and AT-PZEV. In effect, these vehicles don't pollute.
The PZEV or AT-PZEV rating was originally reserved and meant for Electric or Fuel Cell vehicles. It was supposed to connote an unachievable ideal of a non-polluting power source.
Many more models will follow. It takes about 12 years to turn over the US fleets, so by the mid-teens auto emissions will be recognized to be a problem of antiquity, much like we view cholera and and bubonic plague.
I have said before that we are in the late stages of declaring VICTORY in cleaning our air and water, after a rigorous effort for 40 years, since Earth day. Some of you, conditioned by years of propaganda, cannot accept that enormous progress has been accomplished, and believe that things are worse than ever. They simply are not.
The reality is that an average new automobile of 1975 emits more pollution than 10,000 PZEV autos. The real effect is, as if the 225 million cars of 1975 in America, had suddenly been reduced to a mere fleet of 2,250,000. That is about what the auto population was at the beginning of... WWI, in 1914, when Henry Ford was gearing up production of the Model T.
Within the past two years the use of these technologies have been mandated to be adapted and to apply to farm, off-road, small-lawn care, and diesel locomotives within the US; and and even by Mr. Bush's unheralded triumph, the MARPOL Annex IV Treaty, to all the world's Ocean Going Vessels, under any nation's flag that needs commercial marine insurance.
In a handful of years, only Communist havens that proclaim they are so concerned for the common man, will be global sources of genuine pollution.
Three Cheers for the Victory over Air Pollution! Hip, Hip, Hurrah!
Posted by: stas peterson | November 10, 2008 at 09:51 AM
All these new diesels will continue to have their T2B5 hoop-jumping problems when theyre forced to burn the maybe 40cetane heavy truck & tractor fuel. My 4cylinder GM turbodiesel starts and runs great on B100(47C) all spring thru fall, but as soon as I have to mix the dreaded crap from the "diesel" pump, I can count on 3 or 4 try cold starts, smoke and the inevitable check engine light. It sure would be great to get at least "auto diesel" up to 45C, but thats prolly too much greed, politics and stupidity to overcome.
Posted by: fred@dzlsabe.com | November 10, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I don't know why you're having trouble with petroleum diesel in your 4cylinder GM. Sulfur levels went down to 15ppm in October 2006 and as long as you're not burning the off-road fuel with 500ppm sulfur, things should work fine. If you still want to use biodiesel - is there a B20 pump around?
Posted by: Dawn | November 14, 2008 at 09:39 AM
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I love the sweet smell of soot coming from my 50 mpg, 30 year old, VW diesel! How about those emissions for ya!