Study: EPA underestimated emissions control costs for model years 2004-10 heavy duty trucks

March 12, 2012
According to the NADA/ATD study, EPA cost predictions were two to five times greater than the actual cost for truck buyers to comply with emissions mandates.

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and American Truck Dealers (ATD) released a new report today that calls into question the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) cost analysis of emissions control requirements for model year (MY) 2004-2010 commercial trucks. The mandates resulted in substantially higher prices for commercial vehicles, depressed sales, and delayed the environmental benefits that the EPA originally sought.

NADA/ATD released the following statement:

"Until now, few studies have ever compared the EPA's cost predictions to the actual cost of meeting its motor vehicle emissions mandates. The study, which looks back at the 2004-2010 medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions mandates, reveals that the EPA underestimated actual compliance costs on average by a factor of two to five. It shows what can happen when a regulatory proposal – based on far in-advance predictions – seeks to set mandates far in the future. Importantly, the study documents the real-world market disruptions that can occur as a result.

"The lessons learned from this report apply directly to the proposed MY 2017-2025 fuel economy regulations for light-duty vehicles. That rulemaking, combined with previous Obama administration fuel economy mandates, will raise the average price of a vehicle by $3,000, according to EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates. When faced with unreasonable federal regulatory mandates that increase motor vehicle costs, buyers of light-duty vehicles – similar to what commercial truck buyers experienced – will seek out less expensive alternatives in the marketplace."

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