US President Joe Biden is close to proposing new limits on nitrogen oxide emissions from trucks that environmentalists say are long overdue. But the industry says the timing couldn’t be worse as it fights a driver shortage and supply chain woes.
Activists have urged the US Environmental Protection Agency agency to match strict rules California proposed in 2020 that call for nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy-duty trucks to be about 75% below current standards beginning in 2024 and 90% in 2027. The administration is expected to propose its new standards in the coming days or weeks, followed later this year by new limits on greenhouse-gas emissions for trucks.
Kedzie said the initial cost of compliance with any new truck emission regulations will be borne by truck manufacturers. But whether the rule succeeds will be determined by how quickly trucks with the new technologies are sold, he said.“If we don’t buy the new equipment, whatever those emission targets that were trying to achieve will not be achieved,” he said.
Billings said that trucks offer a big bite at the apple of Biden to reduce US emissions as he faces Congressional opposition to other areas of his lofty climate goals. “Manufacturers are saying we can put NOx controls in or we can electrify our trucks,” she said. “Even with this NOx rule, you can move to producing the cleanest trucks possible.” The debate comes while truck companies are at the centre of a supply-chain crunch that is hampering Biden’s political standing ahead of an expected tough midterm election.