EPA issues final rule on light-duty vehicle emissions standards for MY 2023-2026

The Environmental Protection Agency Dec. 20 issued a final rule on tailpipe emissions that the agency has deemed the "strongest vehicle emissions standards ever established for the light-duty vehicle sector."

The new rule maintains the agency's August proposal to call for a nearly 10% improvement in light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions from model year 2022 to 2023, followed by a 5.1% stringency increase in model year 2024.

The agency opted to go with its more stringent alternative proposals for model years 2025 and 2026. As a result, annual reductions in tailpipe emissions for light-duty cars and trucks were set at 6.6% for model year 2025 and 10.3% for model year 2026.

The final rule equates to a fleet-average fuel efficiency of 40 miles per gallon by model year 2026, compared with the 32 mpg the Trump administration rule would have achieved in model year 2026.