Ottawa Follows U.S. on Big Truck Emission Regs
MISSISSAUGA — Introduced by the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s David Bradley, and flanked by a few brown Bison tractors, Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent announced Canada’s Heavy-Duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations today at Bison Transport’s Mississauga location.
The new regs will apply for vehicles assembled on or after model year 2014 to 2018, and were developed in conjunction with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kent said.
“With these tough new measures, GHG emissions from 2018 model-year heavy-duty vehicles will be reduced by up to 23 percent,” Kent said.
Kent said the regulations will improve fuel efficiency and save a semi-truck operator driving a 2018 model-year vehicle up to $8,000 per year in fuel. Vocational vehicles are expected to save up to $1,000 per year for 2018 models.
Companies can adopt a phased-in approach for model year 2014 through 2016 tractors, Environment Canada noted.
“They’ll be able to choose from a number of off-the-shelf cost effective technologies,” Kent added, referring to current emission-friendly add-ons that OEMs can tap to meet the regulations. There’s also an emission credit system whereby companies can generate, bank and trade emission credits, according to Environment Canada.
After the announcement, Bison brass gave Kent a tour of a tractor-trailer decked out with all the latest fuel-saving technology — typically expensive fuel-saving technology.
But as far as the cost and impact on business goes, Environment Canada expects a payback period of less than one year for all three heavy-duty vehicle classes. “The increased fuel efficiencies of the vehicles are also expected to make the trucking industry more competitive with other modes of shipping,” they added.
While the final version of the regulations haven’t been published yet, you can get a close-to-finished draft here.
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