National clean truck standards

New standards can further cut fuel consumption from trucks and buses

In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized new greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for the nation's heavy trucks. These new standards will build on the first-ever greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for new freight trucks and buses finalized in 2011. 

The Clean Truck standards help ensure that our nation's fleet of trucks uses dramatically less fuel, cuts climate and other harmful pollution, and saves both truckers and consumers money. But in August, 2017, EPA announced plans to weaken the standards. The agency is also trying to create a loophole for some super-polluting freight trucks.

Benefits of the standards

The phase two clean truck standards will have the following impacts over the life of the program.

  • 1.1 Billion metric tons of carbon pollution kept out of the atmosphere.
  • 2 Billion barrels of oil saved
  • $170 Billion in fuel savings for truck drivers
  • AND, according to the Consumer Federation of America, up to
  • $400 in annual household savings by 2035

Technology available now

Existing and emerging technologies are available to significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from medium- and heavy-duty highway vehicles. The fuel economy benefits of these technologies are predicted to significantly offset their cost, making the American freight industry cleaner, while saving consumers money at the pump.

Fact sheets, reports & links

Sources
  1. This target is cost effective and has broad support from EDF and other key stakeholders.