The proposed standards are the second round of regulations to improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from trucks and buses. The EPA says they will lower CO2 emissions by about 1 billion metric tons, cut fuel costs by about $170bn, and reduce oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program.

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles currently account for about 20 percent of GHG emissions and oil use in the U.S. transportation sector, but only comprise about 5 percent of vehicles on the road.

The EPA and DOT finalized the first phase of GHG reduction and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles in 2011.

"The success in implementing the Phase I requirements was based on the fact that the 2011 standards were well aligned with EMA member efforts to meet customer demand for more fuel efficient vehicles," said Jed Mandel, EMA president. "We look forward to reviewing the current proposal to ensure that the EPA and DOT Phase II proposal continues to align with manufacturers’ efforts and customer needs."

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