The agencies want fuel consumption reductions of up to 24 percent for large trucks by 2027, while medium-duty trucks would face a lower target of 16 percent during the same period.
If the proposed goals are reached, the DoT claims the reductions will result in $170 billion in saved fuel, one billion metric tons of avoided CO2 emissions and 1.8 billion fewer barrels of oil consumed.
“Once upon a time, to be pro-environment you had to be anti-big-vehicles. This rule will change that,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx wrote in a blog post. “In fact, these efficiency standards are good for the environment – and the economy. When trucks use less fuel, shipping costs go down. It’s good news all around.”
The agencies further argue that the proposed standards would achieve $10 in benefits for every dollar invested in fuel-efficient technology. The buyer of a long-haul truck in 2027 would recoup the additional costs of fuel-efficient technology in two years of operation, Foxx claims.
Officials will likely continue to promote the proposal before attempting to formally establish the new regulations as law.
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