President Obama issues new mandate for truck fuel economy standards; Canada to follow suit

May 21, 2010

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President Obama today ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to jointly develop the first-ever national standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for medium and heavy trucks. The new rules will be phased in between model years 2014 and 2018; no specific fuel-economy targets were proposed today.

In his speech at a special Rose Garden ceremony, President Obama said, "This will bring down costs for transporting goods, serving businesses and consumers alike.  We estimate that we can increase fuel economy by as much as 25 percent in tractor-trailers using technologies that already exist."

The new fuel economy and GHG standards for trucks follow similar rules issued earlier this year for cars and light trucks.

Following President Obama’s announcement, Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced Canada will follow suit. “Just like passenger vehicles, manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks operate in an integrated North American market, so a closely-harmonized approach makes sense for them," Prentice was quoted as saying by the Globe and Mail. He told reporters Canada would draft a policy by late fall, with implementation intended for the 2012-2018 model years.

Tags:   Trucks , Environmental initiatives , Fuel Trends