Vocational vehicles such as delivery trucks, buses, and garbage trucks, will be required to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10%. The program will rely on off-the-shelf technologies.

“While we haven’t had a chance yet to thoroughly review the final rule, we were pleased overall with the process,” says Denny Slagle, president and CEO of Mack Trucks. “Certainly the regulation will challenge the industry, but our past success gives us confidence we’ll meet the challenge.”

Setting fuel targets for work vehicles is not as simple as passenger cars, so two types of standards have been adopted. Pickups and vans will use payload-dependent gram-per-mile standards, and vocational vehicles and combination trucks will use gram-per-ton-mile standards.

This differentiation is necessary because work to move heavier loads burns more fuel and emits more carbon dioxide than moving lighter loads.

As part of the program,  EPA will give engine manufacturers and heavy-duty pickup and van manufacturers the option of using CO2 credits to offset methane and nitrous oxide emissions.