EPA Sets Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission
                   and Fuel Standards, Strengthens  Clean
                   Cars Program
                      The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing an
                      important rule designed to reduce air pollution from passenger
                  cars and trucks. Starting in 2017, Tier 3 sets new vehicle emissions
                  standards and lowers the sulfur content of gasoline, considering the
                  vehicle and its fuel as an integrated system. The vehicle standards
                  reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars,
                  light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-
                  duty vehicles. The gasoline sulfur standard will make emission control
                  systems more effective for both existing and new vehicles, and will
                  enable more stringent vehicle emissions standards since removing
                  sulfur allows the vehicle's catalyst to work more efficiently. Lower
                  sulfur gasoline also facilitates the development of some lower-cost
                  technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas
                  (GHG) emissions, which reduces gasoline consumption and saves
                  consumers money. The Tier 3 standards are closely coordinated with
                  California's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV III) standards as well as with
                  EPA's and California's programs for GHG emissions from light-duty
                  vehicles. EPA is setting these Tier 3 standards to address public health
                  issues that exist currently and are projected to continue in the future.
                  EPA's action was requested in a May 2010 Presidential memorandum.

                  Clean Cars Program
                  In May 2009,  President Obama requested EPA and the Department of Transporta-
                  tion (DOT) to develop new standards to reduce GHG emissions and improve fuel
                  economy for cars and light trucks. EPA and DOT established the first set of coor-
                  dinated GHG/fuel economy standards for model year (MY) 2012-2016 vehicles in
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
                 EPA-420-F-14-010
                     March 2014

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April 2010, and a second set of standards for MY 2017-2025 in August 2012. These standards
were based on extensive input from a wide range of stakeholders, with strong support from the
auto industry, automotive suppliers, labor unions, state and local governments, consumer orga-
nizations, environmental and public health groups, and national security organizations. Taken
together, the Administration's clean car program will double the fuel economy of light-duty cars
and trucks by 2025 - the first significant improvement in over three decades. Under the program,
average new car and light truck fuel economy is expected to reach an average greenhouse gas
performance of 163 grams per mile, equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, saving consumers
$1.7 trillion at the pump—more than $8,000 per vehicle for a MY2025 vehicle—reducing oil
consumption by 2.2 million barrels a day in 2025, and slashing greenhouse gas emissions by
6 billion metric tons over the lifetime of the vehicles sold during this period.
Comprehensive Approach
The Tier 3 program is part of a comprehensive approach to reducing the impacts of motor
vehicles on air quality and public health. The Tier 3 standard is aligned with and designed to be
implemented over the same timeframe as EPA's second phase of GHG standards for light-duty
vehicles starting in model year 2017.

Together, the Tier 3 and GHG programs provide significant environmental benefits and energy
security to the nation, by maximizing reductions in GHGs, criteria pollutants and air toxics
from motor vehicles, reducing costs to consumers, and providing automakers regulatory certainty
and streamlined compliance. The standards will work together with California's clean cars and
fuels program to create a harmonized nationwide vehicle emissions program that enables auto-
makers to sell the same vehicles in all 50 states.
For More Information
You can access the Tier 3 final rule, regulations and related documents on EPA's Office of
Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Web site at:

          www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3 .htm

You can find background on the light-duty GHG program at:

          www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regs-light-duty.htm

For more information on this rule, please contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Transportation and Air Quality at:

          E-mail: otaq@epa.gov

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