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U.S. gov't proposes to cut carbon pollution from trucks

Xinhua, June 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

The U.S. government on Friday proposed new standards aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation said in a joint statement that the proposed standards would require up to 24 percent lower carbon emissions by 2027 than an equivalent tractor in 2018.

The new rules would apply to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks built for model years 2021-2027, according to the statement.

"The proposed standards are expected to lower CO2 emissions by approximately 1 billion metric tons, cut fuel costs by about 170 billion dollars, and reduce oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program," the statement said.

The agencies were due to finalize the standards by 2016, when President Barack Obama will leave office.

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles currently account for about 20 percent of GHG emissions and oil use in the U.S. transportation sector, but only comprise about five percent of vehicles on the road. Endite