The EPA, also known as the Environmental Protection Agency, has set forth a struck set of emission standards that apply to all heavy duty trucks, buses, and other large vehicles. This new set of rules has been solidified as of March 29 in a statement released by the federal agency. This set of rules will officially take effect for vehicle model years 2027 through 2032. Depending on how the rules go, this set of standards could be extended to apply to all future vehicle manufacturing. Officials are calling these new standards a course of action to “help clean up some of the nation’s largest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases.”

The rules are expected to allow for up to one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions to be avoided.

These one billion tons of emissions are expected to accrue over the next three decades. The goal of this would then be to provide $13 bullion in net benefits that would come from the reduced emissions. For example, there would be fewer hospital visits, fewer lost workdays, fewer deaths, and so much more due to the reduced air pollution. Research has also shown that there are around 72 million people who live near and around routes used by freight shippers. Currently, they bear an exuberant amount of the weight from air pollution. However, with the new standards in place and emissions reduced, they would greatly benefit.

An Administrator from the EPA, Michael Regan, released a statement in which he acknowledged the importance of the vehicles that are affected by the standards. He expressly said that heavy-duty vehicles are “essential for moving goods and services throughout our country,” and that they help move the economy along. At the same time, he also pointed to the important fact to recognize of them also playing a large role in our poor air quality. This acknowledgment is essential as it shows that the EPA is not simply out to pray on heavy-duty vehicles, but rather find better ways to maintain them.

The new rules for trucks came a week after new rules were set for regular automobiles.

For years, the EPA has been trying to find a set of standards that can be formally implemented and approved that are actually doable goals while also adequately meeting the goals to reduce emissions. With this said, it seems they have finally reached that sweet spot for both automobiles and trucks.