Archived: Fleet average NOx emission performance of 2011 model vehicles

Fleet average nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emission performance of 2011 model year light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles

in relation to the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations under the
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Transportation Division

March 2014

For PDF version - 663 KB

Cat. No.: En81-10/2011E-PDF

ISSN: 1927-2456

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Aussi disponible en français : Rendement des émissions moyennes de NOx du parc de véhicules légers, de camionnettes et de véhicules moyens à passagers pour l’année de modèle 2011.

Table of contents

• 1. Executive summary
• 2. Purpose
• 3. Introduction
• 4. Company fleet average NO_x emission performance for the 2011 model year
  • 4.1 Scope of company reports
  • 4.2 Company fleet average NO_x values
  • 4.3 NO_x emission credits/deficits for the 2011 model year and end of model year balance
  • 4.4 Distribution of bins and total Canada NO_x fleet average value
  • 4.5 Fleet average NO_x values trend
• 5. Conclusions

List of tables

• Table 1: Light-duty vehicles (LDV), light light-duty trucks (LLDT),heavy light-duty trucks (HLDT) and medium-duty passenger vehicles (MDPV) full useful life exhaust emission standards
• Table 2: Fleet average NO_x standards
• Table 3: Scope of company reports
• Table 4: Summary of company average NO_x values for the combined fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV
• Table 5: NO_x emission credits/deficits for the 2011 model year and end of model year balance
• Table 6: Distribution of vehicles by the NO_x standard of each bin

List of figures

• Figure 1: Distribution of the Canadian fleet by number of vehicles in each bin
• Figure 2: Distribution of the Canadian fleet by the percentage of vehicles relative to the fleet in each bin
• Figure 3: Fleet average NO_x values and standards

1. Executive summary

Under the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations (hereafter referred to as the “Regulations”), each new light-duty vehicle, light-duty truck and medium-duty passenger vehicle is required to be certified by its manufacturer to one of the bins corresponding to those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for which there are specific emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) and other pollutants. In addition, manufacturers and importers of these vehicles are required to report on their fleet average NO_x emission performance for each model year.

This report is the eighth annual performance report, and it summarizes the fleet average NO_x emission performance of the Canadian 2011 model-year fleet of vehicles. A total of 23 companies submitted end-of-model-year reports comprising a total of 1 450 947 vehicles manufactured in Canada or imported into Canada for the purpose of first retail sale. The report includes the fleet average NO_x value for each company as well as their emission credits/deficits. It also provides a comparison of the distribution of vehicles certified to the various emissions bins and the overall NO_x performance with that of previous model years (i.e., 2004 to 2010 model years).

The average NO_x value for the Canadian 2011 model year combined fleet of light-duty vehicles, light light-duty trucks, heavy light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles is 0.06454148 grams/mile compared to the standard of 0.07 grams/mile. Each individual company had a fleet average NO_x value that was at or below the standard, and all companies complied with the fleet averaging provisions of the Regulations based on their reports.

The average NO_x value continued to decrease for the 2011 model year. This result is consistent with the environmental performance objectives of the Regulations.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this report is to summarize the fleet average NO_x emission performance of individual companies and the overall Canadian fleet for the 2011 model year (MY) based on data submitted by companies in their end-of-model-year reports; furthermore, it is also to report on the effectiveness of the Canadian fleet average NO_x emission program in achieving the environmental performance objectives.

3. Introduction

On January 1, 2004, the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations came into effect under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). These Regulations introduced more stringent national emission standards for on-road vehicles and engines. The Regulations align Canada’s emission standards for light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, heavy-duty engines and on-road motorcycles with those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) through incorporation by reference to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

The Regulations also establish fleet average NO_x standards for light-duty vehicles^Footnote 1 (LDV), light light-duty trucks^Footnote 2 (LLDT), heavy light-duty trucks^Footnote 3 (HLDT) and medium-duty passenger vehicles^Footnote 4 (MDPV). Each new LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV is required to be certified to one of the bins presented in Table 1, for which there are specific emission standards for NO_x and other pollutants. A company’s choice of bin to which individual vehicle models are certified in a given model year is limited by the obligation to comply with the fleet average NO_x standards associated with that model year. Table 2 presents the applicable fleet average NO_x standards for a company’s fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV.

^* These bins are no longer available.

A company’s fleet average NO_x value is the weighted average based on the number of vehicles certified to each bin. The emission bins, fleet average NO_x standards, and methods of calculating fleet average NO_x values are aligned with those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). However, there are differences in the structure of the NO_x averaging program in Canada, which is designed to recognize vehicles that are sold concurrently in Canada and the U.S. The regulatory requirements are structured to deliver fleet average emissions comparable to those of the U.S. while minimizing the regulatory burden on companies and enabling the marketing of vehicles in Canada independently from the U.S.

The Regulations require that all companies submit a report to the Minister of the Environment no later than May 1 after the end of each model year. The end-of-model-year report must contain detailed information concerning the company’s fleet(s) and/or groups of vehicles, including information related to the following:

• statements of allowable elections made by the company in complying with the fleet average NO_x requirements of the Regulations, if any;

• the applicable fleet average NO_x standard;

• the fleet average NO_x value achieved by the company;

• the values used in calculating the company fleet average NO_x value;

• calculation of NO_x emission credits and/or deficits, if any;

• balance of credits or deficits;

• credit transfers to or from the company, if any.

For more information regarding the calculation of fleet average NO_x values and NO_x emission credits or deficits, please refer to the Regulations, which can be found on the Environment Canada CEPA Registry. Reports for the 2004 to 2010 model years can also be found on the CEPA Registry.

4. Company fleet average NO_x emission performance for the 2011 model year

4.1 Scope of company reports

Table 3 presents a list of the companies that submitted an end-of-model-year report for the 2011 model year in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations, including the vehicle makes as well as the number of test groups covered by their reports.

A total of 23 companies submitted a report for the 2011 model year covering a total of 305 distinct test groups. It should be noted that certain test groups were common between companies that shared vehicle platforms or powertrains.

4.2 Company fleet average NO_x values

Table 4 summarizes the total number of vehicles and average NO_x values for each company’s combined fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV.

The company average NO_x values ranged from 0.0581502 grams/mile to 0.0700000 grams/mile for the fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV, and no companies reported a fleet average NO_x value that was above the standard of 0.07 grams/mile. Eleven out of 23 companies reported a fleet average NO_x value that was equal to the fleet average NO_x standard.

4.3 NO_x Emission credits/deficits for the 2011 model year and end of model year balance

Table 5 summarizes the NO_x emission credits/deficits obtained by each company for the 2011 model year. It also lists the balance of credits for each company. Companies were assigned “0” for the “Total 2011 MY Credits” if they did not report credits, had a fleet average NO_x value that was equal to the standard, or elected to exclude their group of vehicles from compliance with the fleet average NO_x standard.

^a NO_x emission credits/deficits are rounded to the nearest whole number.
^b The company elected not to calculate an average NO_x value pursuant to subsection 25(1) of the Regulations, as every vehicle conforms to a NO_x standard equal to or less than the applicable fleet average NO_x standard for that model year.
^c The company reported a fleet average NO_x value that is equal to the fleet average NO_x standard.
^d The company elected to exclude its entire fleet, which is sold concurrently in Canada and the U.S., from compliance with the fleet average NO_x standard pursuant to subsection 31(1) of the Regulations.
^e The company elected to exclude only parts of its fleet that satisfied the election from compliance with the fleet average NO_x standard pursuant to subsection 31(1) of the Regulations. However, the average NO_x value for the group of vehicles not subject to the election was equal to the fleet average NO_x standard. Therefore, the company did not incur a deficit.

A total of 8113 credits were generated by companies for the 2011 model year. No company incurred a deficit with respect to its 2011 model year fleet, and no company reported a negative balance of credits at the end of the 2011 model year. In addition, there were no transfers of credits to or from companies for the 2011 model year.

4.4 Distribution of bins and total Canada NO_x fleet average value

Table 6 summarizes the distribution of vehicles by the NO_x standard of each bin. It also provides the calculated fleet average NO_x value of the entire Canadian fleet for the 2011 model year.

For the 2011 model year, almost all vehicles (98.5% of the fleet) were certified to a bin at or below the fleet average NO_x standard of 0.07 grams/mile. The average NO_x value for the Canadian fleet was 0.06454148 grams/mile, which is 7.8 % below the standard. For the first time, the Canadian fleet contains vehicles that were certified to Bin 1 (0.01% of the fleet).

Figure 1 depicts the changing distribution of the combined Canadian fleet by the NO_x standard of each bin across the 2004 to 2011 model years. In addition, Figure 2 presents this information on a percentage basis to facilitate year-to-year comparison.

4.5 Fleet average NO_x values trend

Figure 3 presents the average NO_x values trend relative to the applicable standards since 2004 for both the LDV/LLDT and HLDT/MDPV fleets. The fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV is now subject to a single combined fleet average standard of 0.07 grams/mile instead of two different standards. As a result, the fleet average NO_x values for the 2009 to 2011 model years are shown as single points.

Overall, the fleet average NO_x value for the combined fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV decreased from 2004 to 2011. More specifically, the fleet average NO_x value for the 2011 model year continues to decrease and is 7.8% below the standard of 0.07 grams/mile.

5. Conclusions

This is the eighth year that companies were subject to the fleet average NO_x requirements under the Regulations. A total of 23 companies submitted reports for a total of 305 distinct test groups comprising 1 450 947 vehicles that were either manufactured in Canada or imported into Canada for the purpose of first retail sale.

The average NO_x value for the Canadian 2011 model year combined fleet of LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV is 0.06454148 grams/mile compared with the standard of 0.07 grams/mile. Each individual company had a fleet average NO_x value that was at or below the standard, and all companies complied with the fleet averaging provisions of the Regulations based on their reports.

The average NO_x value continued to decrease for the 2011 model year. This result is consistent with the environmental performance objectives of the Regulations.