Federal EPA Rolls Back Tier 4 Truck Standards

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled back Biden-era emission vehicle emissions standards for light and medium-duty automakers.  The proposal is providing manufacturers a 2-year delay in technology implementation, and allows for automakers to continue to manufacture Tier 3 controlled equipment.  The Agency estimates that this pause in regulatory requirements will save consumers $1.7 billion dollars in associated cost of new technology in vehicles.  In the press release, EPA highlights this rule as a failed attempt to push industry towards electric vehicles (EV’s) and the current “…low consumer appetite for EV’s”.  This is considered Phase 1 of EPA’s actions against the Tier 4 Vehicle Standards, with Phase 2 including further potential revisions to the rule including further implementation deadline adjustments, phase-in schedules and testing procedure changes.  Stay tuned for more updates.