New Vehicles Tested For Emissions Durability

EPA is issuing two actions related to vehicle emissions durability testing procedures. First, EPA is issuing a final rule that establishes vehicle aging procedures that automotive manufacturers must use to demonstrate that its vehicles will continue to meet the emission standards throughout the required useful life period (120,000 miles for most cars and trucks). EPA is completing this action to fulfill a court mandate issued on Oct. 22, 2002, by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the existing aging procedures and issue new regulations. This decision arose from a petition from the Afton Corporation (formerly known as Ethyl Corporation) to reconsider EPA’s existing durability regulations.

In addition, EPA is proposing options for testing the durability of vehicle emissions-related components, such as oxygen sensors and catalytic converters. This supplemental proposal, will include options for addressing the durability of emissions-related components from three testing procedures. The first option would retain the current EPA process of allowing manufacturers to use good engineering judgment, such as computer modeling, test data, or other established methods to demonstrate component durability. The second option would allow manufacturers to continue using the current EPA process, but would require the manufacturers to submit whole vehicle testing data for a worst-case vehicle configuration. The third option would allow manufacturers to continue using the current EPA process, but would also require that manufacturers submit data when a new type of component or a new technology is being introduced.

Contact Information

John Millett

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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