March 10, 2023
At the end of 2022, the government finalized new standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses under the Clean Trucks Plan, an Environmental Protection Agency effort to curb polluting gases in the transportation sector. These new regulations are 80% stronger than the ones they’ll replace.
This is especially important because heavy-duty vehicles are a particular concern when it comes to pollution. Diesel engines, more commonly found in such vehicles, create greater amounts of nitrogen oxides (or NOx) than conventional gas-powered engines do. This compound reacts with other chemicals in the air to create pollution that can cause a variety of respiratory diseases, like asthma.
These new regulations will help curb these toxic fumes in several ways. By 2027, all new heavy-duty vehicles will be required to meet a lowered NOx output, and they’ll have control systems that can resist tampering by drivers trying to get around the law.
Additionally, manufacturers will have to account for the NOx emissions created when these heavy-duty vehicles are idling, which is critical.