Fleet average performance for oxides of nitrogen emissions of 2015 model year vehicles

Official title: Fleet average NO_x emission performance of 2015 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
Environment and Climate Change Canada

March 2018

List of tables

• Table 1: Summary of company reports
• Table 2: Distribution of vehicles by the NO_x standard of each bin

List of figures

• Figure 1: Fleet average NOx 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. Manufacturers and importers of these vehicles are required to report on their fleet average NO_x emission performance for each model year.

This twelfth annual performance report summarizes the fleet average NO_x emission performance of the Canadian 2015 model year fleet of vehicles. A total of 21 companies submitted end of model year reports comprising a total of 1,837,959^{Footnote 1} vehicles manufactured in Canada or imported into Canada for the purpose of first retail sale. This report includes the fleet average NO_x value for each company as well as their number of emission credits or deficits. It also provides a comparison of the distribution of vehicles certified to the various emissions bins and compares the overall NO_x performance with that of previous model years.

The average NO_x value for the Canadian 2015 model year combined fleet of light-duty vehicles, light light-duty trucks, heavy light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles is 0.05876512^{Footnote 2} grams/mile compared to the standard of 0.07 grams/mile. Each company had a fleet average NO_x value that was at or below the standard and complied with the fleet averaging provisions of the regulations based on their reports.

The average NO_x value continued to decrease for the 2015 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 2015 model year (MY) based on data submitted by companies in their end of model year reports and any subsequent revisions received prior to the publication of this report. It also serves 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). 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^{Footnote 3} (LDVs), light light-duty trucks^{Footnote 4} (LLDTs), heavy light-duty trucks^{Footnote 5} (HLDTs), medium-duty passenger vehicles^{Footnote 6} (MDPVs), heavy-duty vehicles, heavy-duty engines and on-road motorcycles with those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through incorporation by reference to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Each new LDV, LLDT, HLDT and MDPV is required to be certified to a bin 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. The current NO_x standard is 0.07 grams/mile, which was introduced in the 2009 model year.

A company’s fleet average NO_x value is the weighted average based on the number of vehicles certified to each bin. Though the emission bins, fleet average NO_x standards, and methods of calculating fleet average NO_x values are aligned with those of the U.S. EPA, 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.

Amendments to the regulations in 2015 introduced more stringent “Tier 3” standards beginning with the 2017 model year that include a standard comprised of the sum of non-methane organic gases (NMOG) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) presented as “NMOG + NO_x”.  Under the Tier 3 standards, companies certify a vehicle to a combined “NMOG + NO_x” bin. Beginning with the 2015 model year, companies were able to optionally certify vehicles to the new Tier 3 bins. The Tier 3 standard is a change from the Tier 2 standard which utilized a NO_x standard.  Consequently, performance of Tier 3 certified vehicles, including early certified 2015 and 16 model year vehicles, will be reported beginning with the 2017 model year results once Tier 3 credits and early action credits become available.

The regulations require that all companies submit a report to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change 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.

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 CEPA environmental registry.

3.1 Scope of company reports

Table 1 presents a list of the companies that submitted an end of model year report for the 2015 model year in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations, including the vehicle makes and a summary of the data received.

The results exclude early-certified Tier 3 vehicles and as a result, they are not accounted for in the calculation of the average NO_x value. For the 2015 model year, one company reported Tier 3 vehicles. These comprised less than 0.04% of the total vehicles reported by all companies.

A total of 21 companies submitted a report for the 2015 model year covering a total of 334 distinct test groups. It should be noted that certain test groups were common between companies that shared vehicle platforms or powertrains.

The company average NO_x values ranged from 0.0405872 grams/mile to 0.070000 grams/mile for the fleet of LDVs, LLDTs, HLDTs, and MDPVs, and no companies reported a fleet average NO_x value that was above the standard of 0.07 grams/mile.

A total of 19,685 credits were generated by companies for the 2015 model year. No company incurred a deficit with respect to their fleet, and no company reported a deficit at the end of this model year. In addition, there were no credit transfers to or from companies for the 2015 model year.

3.2 Distribution of bins and total Canada NO_x fleet average value

Table 2 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 2015 model year.

Note: Beginning in the 2009 model year, applicable standards are limited to bins 1 to 8 for all categories.

For the 2015 model year, almost all of the 1,837,959 vehicles (99.97% 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 0.05876512 grams/mile.

3.3 Fleet average NO_x values trend

Figure 1 presents the average NO_x values trend relative to the applicable standards since 2004 for both the LDV/LLDT and HLDT/MDPV fleets. Beginning in 2009, LDVs, LLDTs, HLDTs, and MDPVs all conform to one NO_x fleet average standard.

Figure 1: Fleet Average NO_x Values and Standards

Overall, the fleet average NO_x value for the combined fleet of LDVs, LLDTs, HLDTs, and MDPVs decreased from 2004 to 2015. More specifically, the fleet average NO_x value for the 2015 model year continues to decrease and is 16.05% below the standard of 0.07 grams/mile.

4 Conclusions

This is the twelfth year that companies were subject to the fleet average NO_x requirements under the Regulations. A total of 21 companies submitted reports for a total of 334 distinct test groups comprising 1,837,959 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 2015 model year combined fleet of LDVs, LLDTs, HLDTs and MDPVs is 0.05876512 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 2015 model year. This result is consistent with the environmental performance objectives of the regulations.

Cat. No.: En81-10E-PDF
ISSN: 1927-2456

Photos: © Environment and Climate Change Canada
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 2018