Air pollutant emission performance for the 2017 model year on-road vehicle fleet

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

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

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On this page

• Executive summary
• 1. Purpose
• 2. The regulations
• 3. Tier 2 reporting for the 2017 model year
  • 3.1 Fleet average NO_x emission performance
• 4. Tier 3 reporting for the 2017 model year
  • 4.1 Fleet average NMOG+NO_x emission performance
    • 4.1.1 Light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1, 120k
    • 4.1.2 Light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1, 150k
    • 4.1.3 Light-duty trucks 2, heavy light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles
    • 4.1.4 Early action credits
    • 4.1.5 Overall performance of Canadian fleets
  • 4.2 Fleet average cold NMHC emission performance
    • 4.2.1 Light-duty vehicles and light light-duty trucks
    • 4.2.2 Heavy light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles
  • 4.3 Fleet average EVAP emission performance
    • 4.3.1 Light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1
    • 4.3.2 Light-duty trucks 2
  • 4.4 PM and EVAP phase-in performance
• 5. Conclusions

List of figures

• Figure 1: NO_x fleet averages and standards for model years 2004 through 2016
• Figure 2: NMOG+NO_x fleet averages and standards

List of tables

• Table 1: light-duty vehicle, light light-duty truck, heavy light-duty truck and medium-duty passenger vehicle Tier 2 federal test procedure bin exhaust emission standards (grams/mile)
• Table 2: scope of company reports (Tier 2)
• Table 3: distribution of vehicles by NO_x standard of each bin
• Table 4: summary of company average NO_x values for the heavy light-duty and medium-duty passenger vehicle fleet
• Table 5: light-duty vehicle, light light-duty truck, heavy light-duty truck and medium-duty passenger vehicle Tier 3 federal test procedure bin exhaust emission standards (grams/mile)
• Table 6: scope of company reports (Tier 3)
• Table 7: distribution of Tier 3 vehicles by NMOG+NO_x standard of each bin
• Table 8: declining fleet average Tier 3 federal test procedure emission standards for NMOG+NO_x (grams/mile)
• Table 9: declining fleet average Tier 3 supplemental federal test procedure emission standards for NMOG+NO_x (grams/mile)
• Table 10: summary of company average NMOG+NO_x federal test procedure values for the light-duty vehicle and light-duty truck 1, 120K fleet
• Table 11: summary of company average NMOG+NO_x supplemental federal test procedure values for the light-duty vehicle and light-duty truck 1, 120K fleet
• Table 12: summary of company average NMOG+NO_x federal test procedure values for the light-duty vehicle and light-duty truck 1, 150K fleet
• Table 13: summary of company average NMOG+NO_x supplemental federal test procedure values for the light-duty vehicle and light-duty truck 1, 150K fleet
• Table 14: summary of company average NMOG+NO_x federal test procedure values for the light duty truck 2, heavy light-duty truck, and medium-duty passenger vehicle, 150K fleet
• Table 15: summary of company average NMOG+NO_x supplemental federal test procedure values for the light duty truck 2, heavy light-duty truck, and medium-duty passenger vehicle, 150K fleet
• Table 16: fleet average cold temperature NMHC exhaust emission standards
• Table 17: summary of company average cold NMHC values for the light-duty vehicle and light light-duty truck fleet
• Table 18: summary of company average cold NMHC values for the heavy light-duty truck and medium duty passenger vehicle fleet
• Table 19: Tier 3 diurnal plus hot soak emission standards in grams per test
• Table 20: summary of company average EVAP values for the light-duty vehicle and light duty truck 1 fleet
• Table 21: summary of company average EVAP values for the light-duty truck 2 fleet

Executive summary

The On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the “regulations”) establish national emission standards to limit smog-forming emissions (non-methane organic gases (NMOG), nitrous oxides (NO_x), particulate matter (PM), cold non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), evaporative emissions (EVAP)) from new on-road vehicles and engines. The Tier 3 fleet average standards continue to align with the progressively more stringent standards adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the 2017 through 2025 model years. These regulations require importers and manufacturers of new vehicles to meet fleet average emission standards for air pollutants and establish annual compliance reporting requirements. The 2017 model year, is the first model year in which companies are required to meet the new Tier 3 standards.

This report summarizes the fleet average air pollutant emission performance of the Canadian 2017 model year fleet of vehicles. A total of 23 companies submitted end of model year reports comprising a total of 1 987 313 vehicles manufactured in Canada or imported into Canada for the purpose of first retail sale. This report includes the fleet average NMOG+NO_x, cold NMHC and EVAP values 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 emission bins and compares the overall NMOG+NO_x performance with that of the pre-Tier 3 model years.

The average NMOG+NO_x value for the Canadian 2017 model year combined fleet of light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1 is 0.0937067 grams/mile compared to the standards of 0.086 grams/mile. The average NMOG+NO_x value for the Canadian 2017 model year combined fleet of light-duty trucks 2, heavy-light duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles is 0.1113309 grams/mile compared to the standard of 0.101 grams/mile.

The overall NMOG+NO_x fleet averages demonstrate continued industry improvements in emission performance since 2004. While the fleet average values are above the applicable standards for the 2017 model year, companies have three years to offset any deficits incurred, and currently remain in compliance with the fleet averaging provisions of the regulations. All companies have complied with the 2017 PM and EVAP phase-in percentages and have met the Cold NMHC fleet average standards.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this report is to summarize the fleet average air pollutant emission performance of individual companies and the overall Canadian fleet for the 2017 model year (MY). It is 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 air pollutant emission program in achieving the environmental performance objectives outlined in the regulations.

2. The regulations

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 1}  (LDVs), light light-duty trucks^{Footnote 2}  (LLDTs) composed of Light-Duty Trucks 1 (LDT1) and Light-Duty Trucks 2 (LDT2), heavy light-duty trucks^{Footnote 3}  (HLDTs) composed of Light-Duty Trucks 3 (LDT3) and Light-Duty Trucks 4 (LDT4), medium-duty passenger vehicles^{Footnote 4}  (MDPVs), heavy-duty vehicles, heavy-duty engines and on-road motorcycles with those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) through incorporation by reference to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

From model year 2004 through model year 2016, companies were required to meet fleet average NO_x emission standards (Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards). Figure 1 shows the overall Canadian performance during those years.

Figure 1: NO_x fleet averages and standards for model years 2004 through 2016

The regulations were subsequently amended in 2015 to set new emission standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks and certain heavy-duty vehicles for 2017 and later model years that are imported or manufactured in Canada. The amendments establish progressively more stringent vehicles and fleet average standards over the model years 2017 to 2025 for combined emissions of NMOG and NO_x and establish a phase-in schedule for more stringent PM and evaporative emission standards, in alignment with the U.S. EPA standards adopted in 2014.

A company’s fleet of light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles will have to comply with progressively more stringent exhaust emission standards, reaching a fleet average standard for emission of NMOG+NO_x of 30 milligrams per mile as of model year 2025. Similarly, heavy-duty vehicle weight classes 2B^{Footnote 5}  and 3^{Footnote 6}  will be required to comply with progressively more stringent fleet average standards for emissions of NMOG+NO_x, reaching fleet average standards of 178 milligrams/mile and 247 milligrams/mile, respectively, as of model year 2022.

Also, as of model year 2017, new PM exhaust emission standards are introduced by means of a phase-in approach through which an increasing percentage of vehicles in a company’s fleet for each successive model year will be required to comply with the standards, with full implementation starting with model year 2021. An alternative phase-in compliance approach for these standards allows companies to conform to the standards by demonstrating that an equivalent number of vehicles conform to the new standards, when averaged over more than one model year included in the phase-in period. For vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) up to 6000 lb, the PM standard is 3 milligrams/mile. For vehicles with a GVWR above 6 000 lb and up to 14 000 lb, this standard is 3 milligrams/mile for the applicable light-duty trucks and MDPVs, and 8 milligrams/mile and 10 milligrams/mile for heavy-duty vehicle weight classes 2B and 3, respectively.

As of model year 2017, new evaporative emission (EVAP) standards are introduced by means of a phase-in approach through which an increasing percentage of a company’s fleet of vehicles for each successive model year will be required to comply with the standards, with full implementation starting with model year 2022. An alternative phase-in compliance approach for these standards allows companies to conform to the standards by demonstrating that an equivalent number of vehicles conform to the new standards, when averaged over more than one model year included in the phase-in period. For LDV and LDT1 vehicles, this standard is 0.3 grams per test. For LDT2 vehicles, this standard is 0.4 grams per test. For HLDTs, this standard is 0.5 grams per test and for heavy-duty vehicles (Class 2B and 3), this standard is 0.6 grams per test.

The amendments also introduce new fleet average standards in Canada for cold temperature exhaust emissions of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs). For fleets consisting of vehicles with a GVWR up to 6000 lb, the cold temperature NMHC fleet average standard is fixed at 0.3 grams/mile, starting with the 2017 model year. For fleets consisting of vehicles with a GVWR above 6 000 lb and up to 14 000 lb, the cold temperate NMHC fleet average standard is fixed at 0.5 grams/mile, starting with the 2017 model year.

Flexibilities for vehicles sold concurrently in Canada and the United States are included for compliance with the fleet average emission standards as well as the phase-in emission standards. These flexibilities recognize that the emission performance of a company’s fleet of vehicle models that are sold concurrently in the United States is effectively anchored by the U.S. regulatory program.

The regulations require that all companies submit a compliance report to the Minister 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 regulations, or more specifically, the calculation of fleet average values and emission credits or deficits, please refer to the regulations, which can be found on the Environment and Climate Change Canada CEPA Environmental Registry.

3. Tier 2 reporting for the 2017 model year

HLDTs and MDPVs are not subject to Tier 3 standards for the 2017 model year and therefore must continue to comply with the Tier 2 standards, unless the company has elected to voluntarily certify the vehicles to Tier 3 standards. Companies certify their vehicles to a bin for which there are specific emission standards for NO_x and other pollutants (see table 1). Table 2 presents the companies that submitted an end of model year report which contained vehicles that were certified to Tier 2 standards, including the vehicle makes and the number of Tier 2 certified test groups.

3.1 Fleet average NOx emission performance

Table 3 summarizes the distribution of vehicles by the NOx standard for each Tier 2 bin. It also provides the calculated fleet average NOx value of the Canadian Tier 2 fleet for the 2017 model year.

For the 2017 model year, almost all of the 298 312 Tier 2 vehicles (99.72% 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 0.0636775 grams/mile.

A total of 11 companies submitted a report containing Tier 2 vehicles for the 2017 model year composed of HLDT’s and MDPV’s.

The company average NO_x values ranged from 0.053667 grams/mile to 0.070000 grams/mile for the fleet of HLDTs, and MDPVs, and no companies reported a fleet average NO_x value that was above the standard of 0.07 grams/mile (see table 4).

A total of 1886 credits were generated by companies for the 2017 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 Tier 2 credit transfers to or from companies for the 2017 model year.

4. Tier 3 reporting for the 2017 model year

Under the Tier 3 standards, companies certify a vehicle to a combined “NMOG + NO_x” bin. These bins represent the Federal Test Procedure (FTP) standards that vehicles are certified against. For the 2017 model year, a company’s fleet average NMOG+NO_x FTP values are calculated over the following fleets:

1. a company’s fleet that is composed of all of its light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1 to which the applicable NMOG+NO_x standard applies for a useful life of 120 000 miles

2. a company’s fleet that is composed of all of its light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1 to which the applicable NMOG+NO_x standard applies for a useful life of 150 000 miles

3. a company’s fleet that is composed of all of its light-duty trucks 2

Table 5 presents the corresponding exhaust emission standards for the Tier 3 FTP bins.

¹ Transitional bins to which vehicles may be certified to through model year 2019.

Table 6 presents the companies that submitted an end of model year report which contained vehicles that were certified to Tier 3 standards, including the vehicle makes and the number of Tier 3 certified test groups.

Table 7 summarizes the distribution of vehicles by the NMOG+NO_x standard for each bin.

¹ Transitional bins.

4.1 Fleet average NMOG+NO_x emission performance

This section describes the manufacturers NMOG+NO_x fleet average performance.

Table 8 and table 9, both taken from section 86.1811-17 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), present the declining fleet average Tier 3 FTP and Supplemental Federal Test Procedure (SFTP) emission standards for NMOG+NO_x from model year 2017 to model year 2025.

¹ Vehicles certified to standards based on a useful life of 120 000 miles may comply based on the fleet-average standard specified for 150 000 mile useful life in certain circumstances as specified in paragraph (b)(8)(iii)(A) of this section.
² MDPVs are subject to all the same emission standards and certification provisions that apply to LDT4.
³ HLDT and MDPV must meet the Tier 3 standards starting with model year 2018.

¹ HLDT and MDPV must meet the Tier 3 standards starting with model year 2018.

4.1.1 Light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1, 120k

Table 10 presents the summary of the company average NMOG+NO_x FTP values for their LDV/LDT1 120k fleets.

¹ Negative totals represent a deficit.

Table 11 presents the summary of the company average NMOG+NO_x SFTP values for their LDV/LDT1 120k fleets.

4.1.2 Light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1, 150k

Table 12 presents the summary of the company average NMOG+NO_x FTP values for their LDV/LDT1 150k fleets.

Table 13 presents the summary of the company average NMOG+NO_x SFTP values for their LDV/LDT1 150k fleets.

4.1.3 Light-duty trucks 2, heavy light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles

Table 14 presents the summary of the company average NMOG+NO_x FTP values for their LDT2 fleets.

Table 15 presents the summary of the company average NMOG+NO_x SFTP values for their LDT2 fleets.

Average NMOG+NO_x values above the applicable NMOG+NO_x standards for a given fleet can be attributed to the following factors:

1. the company elects to exclude from mandatory compliance with the fleet average NMOG+NO_x standard its group of U.S. certified vehicles that are sold in Canada and the U.S. (this exclusion is allowed because the objective of the fleet averaging provisions is to achieve an overall Canadian vehicle fleet emission performance comparable to that of the U.S., while minimizing the regulatory burden on companies; an analysis conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada indicated that, even under extreme scenarios, the variations between the Canadian and U.S. fleet averages are expected to be small)

2. the company made use of an interim provision allowing them to include their LDV/LDT1 120k mile useful life vehicles certified to bins greater than bin 70 in their LDV/LDT1 150k mile useful life fleet (this interim provision may be used through model year 2019; this allows their LDV/LDT1 120k vehicles to meet the less stringent standard of the LDV/LDT1 150k fleet)

3. the average NMOG+NO_x value is above the NMOG+NO_x standard for one of its fleets (a company can offset a deficit from one fleet with credits from another fleet within the same averaging set)

4. the average NMOG+NO_x value is above the applicable standard (a company can offset a deficit in a subsequent model year)

4.1.4 Early action credits

Early Action credits are earned over the 2015-2016 model years for a company’s fleet of LDV/LDT1 vehicles and over the 2016-2017 model years for a company’s fleet of LDT2/HLDT/MDPV vehicles if the respective NMOG+NO_x fleet averages are below the 0.160 standard.

4.1.5 Overall performance of Canadian fleets

Figure 2 shows the overall Canadian NMOG+NO_x fleet averages from the 2015 to 2017 model year for the LDV/LDT1 and LDT2/HLDT/MDPV fleets.

Figure 2: NMOG+NO_x fleet averages and standards

4.2 Fleet average cold NMHC emission performance

This section describes the manufacturer’s cold NMHC fleet average performance.

Table 16 presents the fleet average cold temperature NMHC exhaust emission standards.

4.2.1 Light-duty vehicles and light light-duty trucks

Table 17 presents the summary of company average cold NMHC values for their LDV/LLDT fleets.

4.2.2 Heavy light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles

Table 18 presents the summary of company average cold NMHC values for their HLDT/MDPV fleets.

4.3 Fleet average EVAP emission performance

This section describes the manufacturers EVAP fleet average performance.

Table 19 presents the fleet average EVAP emission standards.

4.3.1 Light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1

Table 20 presents the summary of company average EVAP values for their LDV/LDT1 fleets.

4.3.2 Light-duty trucks 2

Table 21 presents the summary of company average EVAP values for their LDT2 fleets.

4.4 PM and EVAP phase-in performance

For the 2017 model year, 20% of a company’s fleet of vehicles must meet the Tier 3 PM standards and 40% must meet the Tier 3 EVAP standards. All companies met these requirements.

5. Conclusions

The 2017 model year results represents the first reporting cycle under the new more stringent Tier 3 emission standards. All companies subject to reporting requirements submitted end of model year reports comprising a total of 1 987 313 vehicles manufactured in Canada or imported into Canada for the purpose of first retail sale.

The average NMOG+NO_x value for the Canadian 2017 model year combined fleet of light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks 1 is 0.0937067 grams/mile compared to the standards of 0.086 grams/mile. The average NMOG+NO_x value for the Canadian 2017 model year combined fleet of light-duty trucks 2, heavy-light duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles is 0.1113309 grams/mile compared to the standard of 0.101 grams/mile.

The overall NMOG+NO_x fleet averages demonstrate industry improvements in emission performance. While the fleet average values are above the applicable standards for the 2017 model year, all companies have complied with the fleet averaging provisions of the regulations.

All companies have complied with the 2017 PM and EVAP phase-in percentages and have met the Cold NMHC fleet average standards.