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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 169 / Friday, September 3, 2021 / Proposed Rules pickup trucks to exceed their CAFE
targets based on footprints by specified amounts i.e., electric vehicles and other electric components.535 These performance-based incentives create a technology-neutral path as opposed to the other technology-encouraging path to achieve the CAFE FCIVs, which would encourage the development and application of new technological approaches.
Large pickup trucks represent a significant portion of the overall light duty vehicle fleet and generally have higher levels of fuel consumption and GHG emissions than most other light duty vehicles. Improvements in the fuel economy and GHG emissions of these vehicles can have significant impact on the overall light-duty fleet fuel use and GHG emissions. NHTSA believes that offering incentives could encourage the deployment of technologies that can significantly improve the efficiency of these vehicles and that also will foster production of those technologies at levels that will help achieve economies of scale, would promote greater fuel savings overall and make these technologies more cost effective and available in the future model years to assist in compliance with CAFE
standards.
EPA and NHTSA also established limits on the eligibility for these pickup trucks to qualify for incentives. A truck was required to meet minimum criteria for bed size and towing or payload capacities and meet minimum production thresholds in terms of a percentage of a manufacturers full-size pickup truck fleet in order to qualify for these incentives. Under the provisions, Mild HEVs are eligible for a per-vehicle CO2 credit of 10 g/mi equivalent to 0.0011 gallon/mile for a gasoline-fueled truck during MYs 20172021. To be eligible a manufacturer would have to show that the Mild HEV technology is utilized in a specified portion of its truck fleet beginning with at least 20
percent of a companys full-size pickup production in MY 2017 and ramping up to at least 80 percent in MY 2021.
Strong HEV pickup trucks are eligible for a 20 g/mi credit 0.0023 gallon/mile during MYs 20172021, and in this rulemaking proposed to be extended through MY 2026, if the technology is used on at least 10 percent of a companys full-size pickups in that model year. EPA and NHTSA also adopted specific definitions for Mild and Strong HEV pickup trucks, based on energy flow to the high-voltage battery during testing.
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Furthermore, to incentivize other technologies that can provide significant reductions in GHG emissions and fuel consumption for full-size pickup trucks, EPA also adopted, a performance-based fuel consumption improvement value for full-size pickup trucks. Eligible pickup trucks certified as performing 15
percent better than their applicable CO2
target receive a 10 g/mi credit 0.0011
gallon/mile, and those certified as performing 20 percent better than their target receive a 20 g/mi credit 0.0023
gallon/mile. The 10 g/mi performancebased credit is available for MYs 2017
to 2021 and, once qualifying; a vehicle model will continue to receive the credit through MY 2021, provided its CO2 emissions level does not increase.
To be eligible a manufacturer would have to show that the technology is utilized in a specified portion of its truck fleet beginning with at least 20
percent of a companys full-size pickup production in MY 2017 and ramping up to at least 80 percent in MY 2021. The 20 g/mi performance-based credit was available for a vehicle model for a maximum of 5 years within the 2017 to 2021 model year period, and in this rulemaking proposed to be extended through MY 2026, provided its CO2
emissions level does not increase. To be eligible, the technology must be applied to at least 10 percent of a companys full-size pickups in for the model year.
The agencies designed a definition for full-size pickup truck based on minimum bed size and hauling capability, as detailed in 40 CFR
86.186612e. This definition ensured that the larger pickup trucks, which provide significant utility with respect to bed access and payload and towing capacities, are captured by the definition, while smaller pickup trucks with more limited capacities are not covered. A full-size pickup truck is defined as meeting requirements 1 and 2 below, as well as either requirement 3 or 4 below.
1 Bed WidthThe vehicle must have an open cargo box with a minimum width between the wheelhouses of 48 inches. And 2 Bed LengthThe length of the open cargo box must be at least 60
inches. And 3 Towing Capabilitythe gross combined weight rating GCWR minus the gross vehicle weight rating GVWR
must be at least 5,000 pounds. Or 4 Payload Capabilitythe GVWR
minus the curb weight as defined in 40
CFR 86.1803 must be at least 1,700
pounds.
In the 2020 CAFE rule, the agencies ended the incentives for full-size pickup trucks after the end of model year 2021

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believing expanded incentives would likely not result in any further emissions benefits or fuel economy improvements since an increase in sales volume was unanticipated. At the time, no manufacturer had qualified to use the full-size pickup truck incentives since they went into effect in MY 2017.
One vehicle manufacturer introduced a mild hybrid pickup truck in MY 2019
but was ineligible for the FCIV because it did not meet the minimum production threshold. Other manufacturers had announced potential collaborations or started designing future hybrid or electric models, but none were expected to meet production requirements within the time period of eligibility for these incentives.
Since the 2020 final rule, many manufacturers have publicly announced several new model types of full-size electric pickup trucks starting in MY
2022. NHTSA notes that historically its goal has always been to promote electric vehicles due to their exceptional fuel saving benefits. For this reason, even given the discontinuation in MY 2019 of AMFA incentives for dual fueled vehicles, NHTSA retained its benefits for alternative dedicated fueled vehicles to focus on the growth of electric vehicles in the market. Therefore, after the careful consideration of this new information and the potential role incentives could play in increasing the production of these technologies, and the associated beneficial impacts on fuel consumption, the agency is proposing to extend the full-size pickup truck incentive through MY 2025 for strong hybrids and for full-size pickup trucks performing 20-percent better than their target. Also, understanding the importance of electric vehicles in the market, NHTSA is proposing to allow manufacturers to combine both the incentives for alternative fueled vehicles and full-size pickup trucks FCIVs when complying with the CAFE program.
2 Flexibilities for Air Conditioning Efficiency A/C systems are virtually standard automotive accessories, and more than 95 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. are equipped with mobile A/C systems. A/C system usage places a load on an engine, which results in additional fuel consumption;
the high penetration rate of A/C systems throughout the light-duty vehicle fleet means that more efficient systems can significantly impact the total energy consumed. A/C systems also have nonCO2 emissions associated with
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