Can a Truck With a Glider Kit Travel to California

SACRAMENTO – Decades of clean air progress stand to be reversed if the U.S. EPA opts to repeal its rule on limiting production of "glider kits," said Steve Cliff, Deputy Executive Officeholder of the California Air Resources Lath, testifying at a public hearing today at EPA headquarters in Washington D.C.

A 'glider kit' is a new truck chassis and cab that includes a refurbished diesel engine and power train. In almost every instance, these kits include much older so-called 'pre-emission' engines from 10, fifteen and up to 20 years ago. These engines evade current diesel-powered truck tailpipe standards. Every bit a result, compared to current make clean trucks, they emit massive amounts of smog-forming pollution and toxic carcinogenic soot, directly impacting public health.

"If you enjoy driving behind a truck belching clouds of black carcinogenic fume, y'all can give thanks EPA for putting many more of them on the roads, rather than cleaner modern models," said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. "This illegal effort by EPA volition open the floodgates to let unlimited numbers of old and dirty trucks to cascade onto our streets and highways masquerading as brand new clean trucks."

Full Testimony

Glider-kit truck at a recent CARB inspection station

The requirements for glider kits, set to go into issue in January 2018, were developed during three years of close coordination between CARB and the EPA.  The electric current EPA Administrator – who was not part of that process – now seeks to repeal the requirements, effectively eliminating whatever cap on the number of kits that tin can be manufactured within a given time frame.

Glider kits are legitimately used when compliant trucks are damaged leaving the chassis unusable merely the engine intact. But recently some manufacturers have been abusing the glider provisions to build vehicles with no emission controls, and market them every bit new trucks.

Currently, some ten,000 'glider kits' are sold each year, about i out of 20 heavy-duty (Class vii and 8) tractor trucks sold. This is a vastly greater number than simply a decade ago. Repealing the current caps on glider kit product would essentially allow an unfettered number of older, dirty engines onto the marketplace. These trucks lack filters that trap toxic diesel soot and also lack controls that limit smog-forming nitrogen oxides.

Based on U.South. EPA'southward own testing this yr, glider vehicle levels of NOx (oxides of nitrogen, a precursor to smog) were four to 40 times college than those of modern trucks. Levels of diesel particulate matter (a toxic air contaminant linked to cancer and a host of respiratory and cardiac ills including asthma) were 50-450 times college. CARB's own assay confirms these figures.

Co-ordinate to Cliff, repealing the dominion and assuasive unlimited numbers of glider kits on the road will harm public health. CARB analysis determined that a single pre-emission engine in a new glider kit puts out the equivalent of up to 450 modern trucks (with engines from 2010 or after).

In fact, these glider kit trucks are then dirty that if they made up less than 7 pct of all medium- and heavy-duty trucks in California the pollution they emit would completely outset the make clean-air benefits of California's electric current efforts to clean upward the country's diesel trucks and buses. This puts Californians at take a chance, and would get in incommunicable for California to meet our federally mandated air quality standards.

Cliff also noted that allowing unlimited numbers of dirty glider kit trucks destroys the electric current regulatory level playing field for diesel fuel truck manufacturers. "It has been a major undertaking on the part of U.South. manufacturers to integrate complex emission controls into their heavy-duty diesel engines," he said in his testimony. "[They] have fabricated significant financial investments and have structured their future product plans taking these investments and emission control commitments into account."

Cliff added that "if EPA continues to shirk its duty to protect the public'southward health and welfare and our nation'due south air quality…[it] would put engine manufacturers that have invested significant resources to comply with current emission standards at a competitive disadvantage."

Since 2000, California has led the nation and the globe in developing strong programs to reduce air pollution from all diesel sources including ships, trucks, buses and passenger vehicles. Specifically, California's Truck and Bus Regulation calls for all heavy-duty trucks to accept 2010 or newer engines in place past 2023.

Cliff urged EPA representatives to listen to public health advocates, air quality bureau representatives and manufacturers nowadays at the hearing, united in their opposition to the glider rule repeal. He also reminded the EPA representatives to follow through on its mandate to protect the environment and its "duty to protect air quality and the health of Americans."

CARB is the lead bureau in California for cleaning up the air and fighting climate change to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards. Its mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through the effective reduction of air and climate pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy.

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