New rules to cut greenhouse emissions from trucks, phased in over four years

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The federal government says new regulations for heavy-duty trucks will eventually cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 23 per cent and give truckers a break on fuel costs to boot.

The Environment Department says the regulations will be phased in between now and the 2018 model year and will produce a cumulative reduction of 19.1 megatonnes of greenhouse emissions over the life of 2014-2018 model year vehicles.

The department says improved fuel efficiency will mean an average saving of up to $8,000 a year for a semi-truck operator in a 2018-model vehicle.

The regulations will cover vehicles such as full-size pick-ups, semi-trucks, garbage trucks and buses and will align with U.S. standards.

The news release doesn’t say how much these regulations will cost manufacturers.

However, it does say truck makers will be able to use currently available, off-the-shelf technologies such as fuel-efficient engines and aerodynamic cab designs to meet the standards.