Emissions Standards

 

CARB & US EPA Proposed Rulemaking For NOx Heavy-Duty Offroad And Onroad Truck Standards. According to The National Law Review, “In our last blog post on this topic, we covered US EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative, the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) heavy-duty engine and vehicle omnibus regulation, and CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation. For the on-road heavy-duty trucking industry, US EPA finally issued its long-awaited proposed rule on March 7, 2022 for heavy-duty highway vehicles and engines beginning in MY 2027. Heavy-duty highway vehicles are generally those in weight categories ranging between 8,500 lbs to greater than 33,000 lbs GVWR. The comment period recently ended on May 13, 2022. This rule, entitled Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards, 87 Fed. Reg. 17414 (March 28, 2022), is the first step in EPA’s ‘Clean Trucks Plan.’ As identified in President Biden’s Executive Order 14037, Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks, EPA intends to issue a series of regulations over the next three years to reduce pollution from trucks and buses and to advance the transition to a zero-emissions transportation future. Generally, the primary regulatory actions that make up the proposed rule include: (1) stronger NOx standards beginning in model year 2027 with either immediate implementation or an incremental increase in stringency; (2) stronger useful life periods; (3) longer warranty periods to increase the number of useful life miles covered under warranty; (4) tightening of ‘Phase 2’ GHG standards for model year 2027 for 17 of 22 subcategories of vocational and tractor vehicles (e.g., school buses, commercial delivery trucks, short-haul tractors); and (5) setting of stronger emissions standards for medium-duty commercial vehicles (e.g., commercial pickup trucks and vans) for model year 2027 onward.” [The National Law Review, 6/7/22 (=)]

 

Will EPA's Truck Rule Do Enough To Blunt Childhood Asthma? According to Politico, “Every Saturday, 13-year-old Caia Farrell goes running with her classmates. When the group passes a giant, idling truck, they cross the street to get away from the exhaust fumes. But it rarely helps. ‘Outside my house right now, there are trucks moving back and forth to various construction sites, spewing pollution, idling on corners and polluting our air,’ the Philadelphia-based seventh grader recently told EPA administrators during a public hearing. That exhaust could be hurting Farrell and her classmates more than scientists previously understood. Researchers increasingly are finding a causal relationship between heavy-duty truck emissions and respiratory ailments such as asthma. Rapid scientific advances also have allowed researchers to take a more granular look at where the majority of those toxic emissions are concentrated. The findings suggest an inequitable distribution, with low-income neighborhoods and communities of color bearing the brunt of toxic pollution. EPA is trying to address these health impacts with a new rule to rein in emissions from buses, dump trucks and delivery vans. The standard has not been updated in over 20 years. But scientists say EPA’s regulatory analysis does not capture the full extent of just how bad the pollution is for some segments of the population.” [Politico, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

 

Walmart Bets On Truck-Fuel Smorgasbord To Cut Greenhouse Gases. According to Bloomberg Law, “Walmart Inc. will use natural gas, hydrogen and electricity to power its trucks as the world’s largest retailer seeks to honor a pledge to achieve zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040. The strategy is to develop ‘the right recipe’ of alternatives for its big rigs by testing an array of technologies, Fernando Cortes, Walmart’s senior vice president of transportation, said in a statement Wednesday. What they have in common is the goal of cutting diesel consumption.” [Bloomberg Law, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Calls To Boost Natural Gas Can’t Ignore Fuel Combustion’s Deadly Impacts. According to an op-ed by Shelley Robbins in The Hill, “Natural gas is in the headlines as the war in Ukraine continues, cementing the U.S. as the world leader in gas exports. At home, groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argue for more gas-fired power, citing the need for reliability in advance of the summer cooling season. Not making headlines, however, are several studies that show fossil fuel combustion from power plants is killing thousands of Americans every single year. In April, the American Lung Association (ALA) released its ‘Zeroing in on Healthy Air’ report, a look at the impact of reducing fossil-fuel emissions from both transportation and electric power. The ALA and consultant ICF modelled health outcomes associated with shifting to zero-emissions transportation and power, and found that nationally, 110,000 premature deaths could be avoided between 2020 and 2050. Eliminating those emissions would also reap health benefits valued at a staggering $1.2 trillion. Then in mid-May, a new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison found that eliminating pollution from fossil fuel combustion in power plants could avoid as many as 11,600 premature deaths in the U.S. every year, with an annual value of $132 billion. The researchers looked at five additional sectors: industrial fuel use; residential and commercial fuel use; on-road vehicles; non-road vehicles; as well as oil and gas production and refining. They found that exposure to the small particulates emitted by combustion in these six sectors combined resulted in 205,000 deaths in one year. And, due to the disparities in the siting of power plants and other facilities, the victims of this pollution are far more often low-income and people of color.” [The Hill, 6/7/22 (+)]

 

Manufacturers & Fleets

 

Daimler Truck AG

 

Daimler Truck Publishes Sustainability Report 2021: Clear Focus On Holistic Understanding Of Sustainability With Commitment To CO2-Neutrality By 2039. According to Automotive World, “A holistic understanding of sustainability, CO2-neutral products and production by 2039, responsibility to employees and society, as well as the creation of clear obligations with strong corporate governance: These keywords describe the realignment of Daimler Truck Holding AG’s sustainable business strategy. In its Sustainability Report 2021 published today, the company reports on the specifics of what it achieved in terms of sustainability in the past year. It is the first report Daimler Truck is presenting as an independent, publically listed company. Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck: ‘Our independence as Daimler Truck AG provides us with a unique entrepreneurial opportunity. At the same time, this comes with a great deal of responsibility to our employees, to the environment and to society as a whole. The greatest responsibility for us as a company is dealing with climate change. We are therefore clearly committed to the Paris climate protection agreement. It is our declared goal, as a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, to bring CO2-neutral solutions for the transport of goods and people to the market.’” [Automotive World, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Ford Motor Co.

 

Ford’s Electric F-150 Comes With Adapter To Charge Stalled Teslas. According to Bloomberg, “Ford Motor Co.’s electric F-150 Lightning pickups are poised to come to the rescue of any Tesla drivers in need of a jolt. Initial owners of the model that beat the Cybertruck to market have shared images online of an adapter that came with their pickup enabling them to charge Teslas, which use plugs distinct from the rest of the auto industry. When an electric-vehicle enthusiast blog wrote this week that Ford appeared to be trolling its rival, Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley assured his Twitter followers that the automaker means well. Ford has made the F-150 Lightning’s bi-directional charging capability a key selling point of the pickup, emphasizing use cases for customers who’d like to use their truck as a backup generator at worksites or for their home. Enabling EVs to both take and provide a charge has the potential to help utilities manage peaks in demand and even allow their owners to sell electricity back to the grid. Tesla owners may not need the help. The carmaker boasts the second-largest US public charging network, with 19% of all connectors, and dominates the fast- and ultra-fast segments, with more than half of those connectors in the country, according to BloombergNEF estimates. Drew Baglino, Tesla’s senior vice president of powertrain and energy engineering, said in October that the company planned to triple the size of its supercharger network over the next two years.” [Bloomberg, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Ford Dealer Doubles The Price Of The F-150 Lightning Electric Pickup Truck. According to Electrek, “Ford has started to deliver the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, but some dealers are taking advantage of the demand. One of them was spotted doubling the price of the electric pickup by adding a $69,000 markup. As we previously reported, Ford has about 200,000 reservations for the electric pickup truck, and its dealers are currently trying to convert those reservations into orders. With Ford reportedly planning to produce only about 40,000 units this year before ramping up production to 150,000 units next year, there’s a lot more demand for the F-150 Lightning than what Ford can deliver in the near future. Some Ford dealers have been taking advantage of that demand by charging extremely high ‘market adjustment’ prices on top of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. We previously tracked some of those premiums and saw some as high as $30,000. But now we’ve seen a listing that beats that record. An F-150 Lightning Forum user found a unit marked up by $69,000 at Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, Florida:” [Electrek, 6/7/22 (=)]

 

Hyzon

 

Hyzon Receives Carb Zero-Emissions Certification. According to Heavy-Duty Trucking, “The California Air Resources Board has certified Hyzon Motors’ repowered Class 8, 7, and 6 fuel cell-electric trucks as exempt from emission requirements, enabling the company to sell fuel-cell-electric trucks in California. Hyzon’s Repower program allows customers to exchange their used diesel trucks for conversion to fuel-cell-electric using Hyzon’s proprietary fuel cell technology. With this certification, Hyzon expects it will offer some of the first commercially available repowered Class 8, Class 7 and Class 6 FCEVs in California. While FCEVs have been granted provisional approvals for trials, and fuel-cell-electric buses have received CARB certification, no known heavy- or medium-duty FCEVs are available, based on the list provided by California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, according to Hyzon. HVIP, an incentive program administered by national clean transportation consortium Calstart, provides subsidies to reduce the incremental cost of clean commercial vehicles. CARB certification is the primary requirement to secure HVIP eligibility in California. Hyzon expects to qualify for the incentive program later this year.” [Heavy-Duty Trucking, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Rivian Automotive Inc.

 

Tour Rivian's Busy Plant With CEO RJ Scaringe As Your Guide. According to Inside EVs, “Rivian has released a video that shows a busy Normal, Illinois, plant building R1T pickups, R1S SUVs, and EDV 500/700 vans on two separate assembly lines. The video features CEO RJ Scaringe as a tour guide walking viewers through each shop to explain how Rivian’s electric vehicles are built at scale. The EV startup has faced its fair share of problems in recent months, including a slow production ramp-up leading to delivery delays and various parts shortages, especially semiconductors. Rivian also made an uninspired move on March 1 when it announced significant price increases that proved so unpopular with reservation holders that the company was forced to backtrack and only apply them to new orders. Speaking of the hefty price increases, many analysts, industry experts and rival executives believe Rivian’s R1T and R1S are significantly underpriced even with the recent price hikes and the company is losing money on every pickup and SUV sold. Be that as it may, the company’s manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, looks pretty busy in this promotional video, sending an optimistic message regarding the future of the company.” [Inside EVs, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Solaris Bus & Coach

 

Solaris At European Mobility Expo In Paris With Two Zero-Emission Buses. According to Automotive World, “Solaris Bus & Coach is presenting two zero-emission buses at the European Mobility Expo, being held on June 7-9, 2022 in Paris. One of the exhibited vehicles is the most technically advanced bus of the manufacturer – the hydrogen-powered Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen. The second bus presented is the latest product in Solaris’ portfolio – the battery-powered Urbino 9 LE electric. The nine-meter-long vehicle has been submitted for an award for innovation in public transport. The European Mobility Expo 2022, taking place in Paris from June 7-9, focuses on public transport and sustainable mobility. Among almost 250 exhibitors from more than 60 countries is Solaris – a manufacturer who has been investing in technologies that reduce environmental impact for years. At the exhibition Solaris is presenting its most state-of-the-art and technologically advanced vehicles. Urbino 12 hydrogen is an emission-free city bus powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. It is distinguished by an exceptionally low noise level, and the only product of the chemical reaction taking place in the fuel cell is water. The bus offers a range of up to 350 km while still providing all the advantages of electric propulsion – i.e. emission-free and extremely quiet driving.” [Automotive World, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Van Hool

 

Van Hool Introduces New Electric Bus Series With Alternative Drive Options. According to Inside EVs, “The Belgian manufacturer Van Hool has presented a new bus series with four different vehicle lengths (12, 13, 18 and 24 metres), which will be offered exclusively with zero-emission drive systems (battery, fuel cell and overhead line). Even before the official announcement of the new A-series, Van Hool had already received 13 orders for a total of 162 buses. During the conception and development of the new A-series, Van Hool says it paid particular attention to the modularity of the buses, in addition to weight and durability. For example, the manufacturer attached a modular mounting system to the roof of the vehicles for the installation of components such as batteries, air conditioning and control systems. In this way, retrofitting, a possible later conversion or even the replacement of components is easier to implement. Other features include the aerodynamic shape of the front, a large windscreen and the latest generation of LED headlights. A closed cabin with plenty of storage space is provided for the driver as standard. The climate inside the vehicle is controlled by a system based on heat pump technology and traction heat recovery. The battery-electric version is powered by two ZF Axtrax axles, each producing 140 kW, regardless of the length of the vehicle. The batteries are from Akasol, and the energy content ranges from 490 kWh in the twelve-metre bus to 686 kWh in the 24-metre double-articulated bus. Such a body version is often only offered as a trolley bus, but Van Hool will in future also sell the 24-metre bus with a battery.” [Inside EVs, 6/8/22 (=)]

 

Uber Technologies Inc.

 

Waymo Partners With Uber Freight To Deploy Autonomous Trucks At Scale. According to Transport Dive, “Uber Freight and Waymo see a future in which autonomous trucks tackle long-haul driving while human drivers focus on short-haul jobs, a trend already playing out across the industry. The new partnership unlocks ‘really interesting opportunities’ for Waymo to scale autonomous driving technology, said Boris Sofman, head of engineering for trucking at Waymo Via, in a statement. ‘By combining the Waymo Via solution with the Uber Freight platform, we’ll be able to apply proven marketplace technology to help carriers dynamically deploy the Waymo Driver where it’s most valuable and most capable,’ Sofman said. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, has established a variety of partnerships for its commercial transportation offering since it began Class 8 tractor testing in 2017, including with Daimler Trucks North America, J.B. Hunt and UPS. It has also partnered with C.H. Robinson to bring AV technology to the broker’s Navisphere logistics platform. But the capabilities of Uber Freight’s network is crucial for the advancement of autonomous trucks, said Lior Ron, head of Uber Freight, in a statement. ‘We are uniquely positioned to be the preferred network for autonomous trucks, with the scale and the marketplace expertise to deploy autonomous trucks in a way that benefits the entire industry,’ Ron said. Uber Freight has more than 130,000 carriers in its network and includes LG and Nestlé among its thousands of shipper customers. Its revenue saw a more than fivefold increase YoY in Q1, fueling its first profitable quarter on an adjusted EBITDA basis. Uber in its quarterly report attributed the revenue surge to its acquisition of transportation management provider Transplace in 2021.” [Transport Dive, 6/7/22 (=)]

 

Waymo Via And Uber Freight Partner To Accelerate The Future Of Logistics. According to Automotive World, “Rising shipping demand coupled with a growing shortage of drivers has brought the logistics industry to an inflection point, and the need for an autonomous trucking solution like Waymo Via has never been more apparent. To help accelerate this autonomous future, we’re partnering with Uber Freight to connect our technology with their platform and deploy autonomous trucks across their network. This deep, long-term partnership will bring together the power of the Waymo Driver with the scale of Uber Freight’s marketplace technology, ultimately enabling the safe and scalable implementation of the Waymo Driver on America’s roads. As part of this agreement, the Waymo Via autonomous solution will be connected directly with the Uber Freight platform for shippers to tap into. This will begin with trucks in Waymo Via’s test fleet, and later on, carriers that purchase trucks equipped with the Waymo Driver through our Driver-as-a-Service model will be able to opt-in to Uber Freight and seamlessly deploy these assets on the network, enabling them to maximize utilization and grow their businesses. Waymo Via also intends to reserve billions of miles of its goods-only mileage for the Uber Freight network under this partnership, unlocking capacity at a time when shippers need it most and promising to meaningfully impact the industry long term. Together, we envision a future where autonomous trucks can be deployed safely, efficiently, and at scale across a digital and optimized network — eliminating deadhead, streamlining supply chains, and helping to create safer roads. We can’t wait to start making this a reality alongside Uber Freight.” [Automotive World, 6/7/22 (=)]

 

States & Local

 

Op-Ed: As Congress Bankrolls Electric Conversion For Bus Fleets, Is Virginia Ready? According to an op-ed by Wyatt Gordon in Virginia Mercury, “Of the more than 2,168 buses operated by public transportation providers in Virginia, roughly just one percent run on electricity. Beyond the 26 battery electric buses currently in service, the remainder of the commonwealth’s fleet of transit buses rely on fossil fuels with over half dependent on dirty diesel. Thanks to a strategic study by the state and a tremendous tranche of federal funding, the number of Virginia’ battery electric buses is set to more than double this year, but real questions remain as to how fast the commonwealth can go all electric. Recently when U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Norfolk visited an obsolete bus operations and maintenance depot in Virginia Beach, she handed over a supersized check of $5 million to Hampton Roads Transit to upgrade that facility. Once the new depot is completed in 2025, it will accommodate over 100 buses and 14 seasonal trollies, reduce deadhead miles by 62,000 per year and play a pivotal role in HRT’s plans to electrify its bus fleet. Public transit contributes just 0.3 percent of the commonwealth’s carbon emissions according to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, but with most fleet decisions firmly under the government’s influence — if not direct purview — the issue has become a priority for Democratic lawmakers looking to show that a more climate-friendly future is not only possible but well worth the initial investment. Although the Transit Transition Fund and Program bill by state Senator Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond died in the House this year, the push for all-electric buses has been turbo-charged by federal efforts.” [Virginia Mercury, 6/7/22 (+)]

 

 

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