Global Comparison: Heavy-duty Fuel Economy and GHG

Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) accounted for 36% of oil consumption and GHG emissions from the transportation sector in 2010. However, efficiency standards for HDVs—including both heavy-duty trucks and buses—have a much shorter track record than LDV standards. Setting HDV efficiency standards is significantly more challenging than for LDVs, because HDV fleets are extremely diverse in terms of vehicle size and configuration as well as usage patterns. Still, several countries and regions around the world have made progress in recent years at establishing efficiency standards for these vehicles. The following table summarizes the status of HDV efficiency regulations around the world:

Japan was the first country to introduce such standards in 2005, even though they will not take effect until 2015. The US adopted HDV efficiency standards that will apply to vehicles starting in model year 2014. Canada has standards equivalent to the US, and Mexico is currently undergoing active discussions to do the same. In 2009, Europe initiated research work on heavy-duty commercial vehicle carbon dioxide emission regulations, and plans to complete carbon dioxide emissions testing regulations at the end of 2013, and shall perform certification of the European heavy-duty vehicle carbon dioxide emissions at the beginning of 2016. China adopted an “industry standard” for HDVs in 2011 and has proposed a national fuel consumption standard for HDVs.

Relative to the fuel efficiency standards required for LDVs, adopted and pipeline HDV standards tend to drive more modest improvements in fuel consumption – adopted standards in the US require annual reductions in fuel consumption of new vehicles between 1.1 to 3.4 percent, depending on the truck class. The greatest difference between LDV and HDV standards, however, is that LDV improvements have been compounded over many years (e.g., CAFE standards in the U.S.), whereas the first HDV standards are just beginning to come into effect.