EmissionsCanada: Changes to Heavy-duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations

January 7, 20220

Canada: Changes to Heavy-duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations

 

Canada proposed Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.  The proposed Amendments would make necessary modifications to the Heavy-duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations, the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations and the Marine Spark-Ignition Engine, Vessel and Off-road Recreational Vehicle Emission Regulations made under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) to maintain alignment with the corresponding technical amendments made by the U.S. EPA.

Background:

On June 29, 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) published a Final Rule in the Federal Register, entitled Improvements for Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Test Procedures, and Other Technical Amendments. This Final Rule introduces technical amendments to the U.S. EPA emission regulations to modify existing test procedures and other provisions for vehicles and engines found in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

The U.S. technical amendments improve accuracy and reduce the testing burden and make a number of housekeeping changes to the CFR, such as removing obsolete provisions and renumbering provisions within the regulatory text. While most of the technical amendments in the U.S. EPA Final Rule apply to on-road heavy-duty vehicles and engines, it also covers light-duty vehicles, highway motorcycles, marine engines, other off-road vehicles and engines, and stationary engines.

The Canadian vehicle and engine emission regulations are aligned with the U.S. EPA emission regulations. Without regulatory action to maintain alignment, discrepancies between the Canadian provisions and the corresponding CFR provisions could affect how manufacturers and importers comply with the Canadian vehicle and engine emission regulations, starting with the 2022 model year and beyond. In some cases, there could be an increased regulatory burden for companies operating in the Canada–U.S. market. For example, discrepancies between certain definitions in the CFR and the Canadian regulations could change the regulatory classification of certain vehicles and this could require Canadian companies to submit additional documentation prior to importation or sale of vehicles that already meet equivalent standards in the U.S. market.

The proposed Amendments would modify definitions in the Heavy-duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations, as follows:

  • A “heavy-duty vehicle” is currently defined as an on-road vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 3 856 kg (8 500 pounds), a curb weight of more than 2 722 kg (6 000 pounds) or a basic vehicle frontal area in excess of 4.2 m2 (45 square feet). The proposed Amendments would make the necessary changes so a “heavy-duty vehicle” would only be defined as an on-road vehicle that has a GVWR of more than 3 856 kg (8 500 pounds), removing the two other criteria. This change is to ensure that hybrid light-duty trucks do not fall under this definition and are subject to the emission standards pertaining to light-duty vehicles, as hybridization could lead to an increase in curb weight.
  • The definition of “heavy-duty incomplete vehicle” would be amended to clarify that a heavy-duty incomplete vehicle is still characterized as an on-road vehicle that meets the GVWR requirements of a heavy-duty vehicle, has a curb weight of more than 2 722 kg (6 000 pounds), or has a basic vehicle frontal area in excess of 4.2 m2 (45 square feet). This provides the regulated companies with the option to choose the appropriate vehicle classification for compliance during manufacturing. As such, the changes to the definition of “heavy-duty incomplete vehicle” ensures that what constitutes a heavy-duty incomplete vehicle would remain unchanged given the proposed changes to the definition of “heavy-duty vehicle” described above.
  • The definitions of “heavy heavy-duty vehicle” and “medium heavy-duty vehicle” would be amended to ensure that electric or hybrid vocational vehicles are grouped with their correct class of vehicle under the regulations for the 2021 and subsequent model years to reflect the changes made in the U.S. EPA technical amendments. Under the current regulations, all electric or hybrid vocational vehicles of classes 6 to 8 would be considered medium heavy-duty vehicles since they are not equipped with a heavy heavy-duty engine. This may not be representative of the application for electric or hybrid vocational vehicles of class 8, which would be considered a heavy heavy-duty vehicle if they were equipped with such an engine.

Moreover, the U.S. EPA has clarified that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can also be assumed to have an emission of zero grams of CO2 per short ton-mile, much like electric vehicles. As such, the proposed Amendments would add the definition of “fuel cell vehicle,” modify the definition of “electric vehicle” and make corresponding changes to the relevant provisions for vocational vehicles and tractors to ensure that this change made by the U.S. EPA to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is reflected in the Canadian regulations.

Leave a Reply

https://igarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Logo2.jpeg
Kunstlaan / Avenue des Arts 56, Brussels
Plaza MallDova, 21, Arborilor str., Chisinau
Atrium Centrum, Al. Jana Pawła II 27, 00-867 Warsaw
+48 575 570 017

Follow us:

The content provided on this website is not intended to and does not constitute legal advice. Submissions or postings to the website are not confidential. We do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the content. Your use of the content on the website or materials linked from this website is at your own risk.

Copyright © Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research 2024

en_USEnglish