What’s in the EPA’s New Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks?

This RMI fact sheet explains the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed April 2023 emission regulations for passenger cars, light- and medium-duty vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks. The rules establish performance-based limits on greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants for vehicles manufactured in model 2027 and beyond, aiming to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce overall emissions.

• On April 12, 2023, the EPA proposed performance-based rules for manufacturers to limit greenhouse gases (GHG) and criteria pollutants—including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone, and particulate matter (PM)—for heavy-duty trucks as well as light- and medium-duty vehicles. These rules apply to vehicles manufactured in model 2027 and beyond, requiring original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure their new product lines do not exceed average tailpipe emission limits.
• The proposed regulations are not a ban on the sale or use of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, nor do they mandate emissions checks for drivers. Instead, they act as a supply-side lever by making the production of electric vehicles (EVs) a cost-effective compliance strategy. The EPA projects that by 2032, these rules could result in EVs representing 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales, 46% of new medium-duty vehicle sales, and 34% of new heavy-duty day cab tractors.
• The EPA estimates significant long-term benefits if the standards take effect through 2055, including the avoidance of nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions and a reduction in oil imports by approximately 20 billion barrels. The agency projects that the benefits would exceed costs by at least $1 trillion and that the average consumer would save $12,000 over the lifetime of a light-duty vehicle due to lower maintenance and fuel costs.

APA

RMI (2023). What’s in the EPA’s New Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks? https://rmi.org/resources/whats-in-the-epas-new-pollution-standards-for-cars-and-trucks/

Chicago

RMI. What’s in the EPA’s New Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks? 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/whats-in-the-epas-new-pollution-standards-for-cars-and-trucks/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=What’s in the EPA’s New Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks? |date=10 October 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/whats-in-the-epas-new-pollution-standards-for-cars-and-trucks/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023whats, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{What’s in the EPA’s New Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks?}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/whats-in-the-epas-new-pollution-standards-for-cars-and-trucks/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }