Saturday, August 13, 2011

Update on Heavy Duty Trucks

Overdriveonline.com has an article summarizing fuel economy standards for heavy duty trucks.  Here are some excerpts.

A key takeaway:  New trucks are expected to cost $6,220 more because of the rule; total fuel savings over the life of the truck are expected to be $73,000.

  Access the full article here. 


New emissions rule to drive truck prices higher



The first-ever regulation for truck fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, announced Aug. 9, is expected to cut diesel use by 4 gallons per 100 miles traveled by the time 2018 models are sold. New trucks are expected to cost $6,220 more because of the rule.



President Obama announced the new standard would yield a total fuel savings of $73,000 over a truck’s life. Heavy-duty trucks should expect a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018 under a new Heavy-Duty National Program.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association criticized the development, saying there are cheaper ways to achieve the same goals. But many organizations applauded the move.
......

Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks issued generally supportive statements.
“Certainly the regulation will challenge the industry,” said Mack President and CEO Denny Slagle, “but our past success gives us confidence we’ll meet the challenge.  Our focus now is on doing so in a way that minimizes any negative consequences for our customers.”