Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has certified DTNA's complete portfolio of model year 2013 on-highway, vocational and medium-duty vehicles as fully compliant with the new greenhouse gas 2014 (GHG14) regulations.
DTNA’s GHG14 compliance has been achieved one full year ahead of the mandate for certification by the EPA and the Department of Transportation’s Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) first-ever program to reduce heavy and medium-duty truck greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
DTNA continues to work closely with the EPA and NHTSA in the development of new regulations. Under the new GHG14 regulations, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 are projected to reduce oil consumption by 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas emissions by 270 million metric tons.
“DTNA is committed to working with EPA and NHTSA to address critical issues facing the United States such as greenhouse gas reduction, as well as dependence on foreign oil,” said Martin Daum, president and CEO, DTNA. “Early compliance with GHG14 regulations is clear evidence of DTNA’s strategic plan to demonstrate leadership in fuel efficiency and reduced emissions well in advance of any regulatory deadlines.”
NHTSA and EPA designed the GHG14 standards to address global climate change, as well as to improve fuel efficiency thereby reducing oil consumption. The effect of these actions will be to improve energy security, increase fuel savings, reduce GHG emissions, and provide regulatory certainty for manufacturers.
The agencies developed these rules in collaboration under their respective authorities: EPA designed the GHG standard under the Clean Air Act, and NHTSA included the fuel efficiency standard as a part of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA).
“Through early certification to this new standard, we continue to exemplify our position as undisputed market leader,” said Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales and marketing, DTNA. “This achievement is unmatched in the commercial vehicle industry, and we are proud to be pacing the industry in technologies that not only reduce greenhouse emissions, but also improve fuel economy for our customers.”
DTNA’s complete vehicle lineup is certified to the new GHG14 standard, lead by the Freightliner Cascadia, which is DTNA’s flagship for fuel efficiency, aerodynamics and the industry leader in total cost of ownership. The Freightliner Cascadia features clean drive technologies such as BlueTec emissions technologies and its family of DD Engines that continue to pace the industry in overall fuel efficiency.
Another example of overall vehicle optimization that leads to best-in-class fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction is the new Detroit brand. The brand was developed to encompass all powertrain-related components and expedite fruition of Daimler Trucks’ Global Excellence Strategy that includes an overall optimization of global powertrains.