The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to overturn tighter NOx emissions standards for trucks, in a decision expected to be vetoed by President Joe Biden.
“Woke bureaucrats in Washington are on a climate justice crusade using the heavy hands of government to go after the trucking industry that keeps America moving,” Congressman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said on the House floor. “In the last three decades we’ve made significant strides in the right direction to decrease emissions and increase efficiencies.”
The standards introduced last December by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency apply beginning in Model Year 2027 and place a particular focus on nitrogen oxides (NOx), setting limits 80% tighter than those in place today.
(Photo: istock)
Mandated warranties on emissions controls extend by 2.8 to 4.5 times, while manufacturers will also need to show how their designs would limit tampering.
So, too, will the standards target emissions over a broader range of operating conditions, such as the low-load conditions that generate lower exhaust temperatures and make selective catalytic reduction controls less effective.
Collectively these changes would add close to US$42,000 per truck, Nehls said, referring to estimates by the American Truck Dealers Association (ATDA). Other estimates have placed hardware costs at US$25,000 to US$30,000.
“Mandating equipment that has historically led to major engine reliability issues under an unrealistic timeline will have devastating effects on the reliability of America’s supply chain and ultimately on the cost and availability of consumer goods,” Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), added in a statement.
Canada has traditionally adopted U.S.-led emissions standards.
