Assessment Report on Carbon Emissions: Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Economy Standards for Light-Duty Vehicles in Model Years 2017 to 2025
The Interim Joint Technical Assessment Report, published in September 2010, served as a critical step towards establishing more stringent regulations for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for light-duty vehicles from Model Years 2017 to 2025.
This comprehensive report, weighing in at 2.48 MB, was a joint effort by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The document was a part of the National Program, which focuses on regulating both fuel economy and GHG emissions from U.S. light-duty vehicles.
The report's purpose was to evaluate the feasibility, technology availability, costs, and environmental benefits of tightening GHG emission and CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles from 2017 through 2025. It identified a range of technologies capable of significantly improving fuel economy and reducing tailpipe GHG emissions, including advanced engines, transmissions, improved aerodynamics, weight reduction, and electrification technologies such as hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles.
The findings revealed that automakers could meet increasingly stringent standards through a combination of these technologies at reasonable costs. The report suggested that phased standards over the 2017–2025 period would spur innovation while keeping vehicles affordable.
The stricter standards were projected to yield large reductions in CO2 emissions from the light-duty vehicle fleet, contributing substantially to national GHG reduction goals and energy security by decreasing petroleum consumption.
Based on the technical findings, the report supported setting harmonized, coordinated GHG and CAFE standards between EPA and NHTSA for model years 2017–2025 to provide regulatory certainty and maximize environmental benefits.
The Interim Joint Technical Assessment Report was a continuation of the first phase of the National Program, aiming to build on its success in regulating fuel economy and GHG emissions from U.S. light-duty vehicles. The report also introduced OMEGA (Optimization Model for reducing Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from Automobiles), a tool designed to aid in the regulation of emissions from U.S. light-duty vehicles.
Though the exact detailed findings and technical data tables from the report can be found archived in EPA or NHTSA official repositories or the federal docket related to the 2010–2012 joint rulemaking process for light-duty vehicle standards, the report's findings are well documented in official EPA and NHTSA regulatory announcements and analyses from that period as foundational in the development of the joint federal rulemaking for light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel economy standards from 2017 to 2025.
- The report suggests that financial investments in technologies like advanced engines, transmissions, and electrification technologies, such as hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles, are essential for the automotive industry to meet stricter climate-change regulations.
- The document identifies science-based solutions for improving air quality and mitigating climate change, including advanced environmental-science technologies that can reduce tailpipe GHG emissions.
- The test results from the 2010 Interim Joint Technical Assessment Report revealed that transportation systems could significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon footprints by implementing more efficient vehicles and fuel economy standards.
- The stricter CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles, as outlined in the report, could encourage the evolution of the auto industry towards more environmentally friendly solutions and energy conservation, benefiting the environment and the industry's financial stability.
