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Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program

Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program

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The Tier 3 program is part of a comprehensive approach to reducing the impacts of motor vehicles on air quality and public health. The program considers the vehicle and its fuel as an integrated system, setting new vehicle emissions standards and lowering the sulfur content of gasoline beginning in 2017. The vehicle standards will reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles. The gasoline sulfur standard will enable more stringent vehicle emissions standards and will make emissions control systems more effective.

Fact Sheets
- EPA Sets Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards (PDF) (5 pp, 172K, EPA-420-F-14-009, March 2014)
- EPA Sets Tier 3 Tailpipe and Evaporative Emission and Vehicle Fuel Standards (PDF) (5 pp, 176K, EPA-420-F-14-008, March 2014)
- Tier 3 Gasoline Sulfur Standard’s Impact on Gasoline Refining (PDF) (4 pp, 171K, EPA-420-F-14-007, March 2014)
- EPA Sets Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards, Strengthens Clean Cars Program (PDF) (2 pp, 140K, EPA-420-F-14-010, March 2014)
Implementation

Early Tier 3 Credits Calculator (XLS) (3 pp, 685K, October 2015)

Regulations and Standards
- 2015 Amendments (published February 19, 2015)
  - Fact sheet: EPA Issues Amendments to Light-duty Tier 3 Vehicle and Fuel Standards and Other Nonroad and Fuel Provisions (PDF) (2 pp, 135K, EPA-420-F-15-005, January 2015)
  - Direct Final Rulemaking (PDF) (48 pp, 1.04MB)
  - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF) (13 pp, 302K)
  - Partial withdrawal of Direct Final Rulemaking (PDF) (2 pp, 237K) EPA received negative comments on three items in the February 2015 Direct Final Rule; the withdrawal applies only for amendments related to those topics, which are in 40 CFR 80.1453, 80.1616, and 80.1621.
- Final Rule
  - Final Rulemaking (PDF) (474 pp, 6.6MB, published April 28, 2014)
  - Regulatory Impact Analysis (PDF) (619 pp, 19MB, EPA-420-R-14-005, February 2014)
  - Summary and Analysis of Comments (PDF) (982 pp, 6.0MB, EPA-420-R-14-004, February 2014)
- Proposed Rule
  - Proposed Rule (PDF) (377 pp, 3.29MB, published May 21, 2013)
  - Draft Regulatory Impact Analysis (PDF) (532 pp, 11.8MB, EPA-420-D-13-002, March 2013)
- Technical Support Documents
  - Emissions Modeling Technical Support Document: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Standards (PDF) (118 pp, 3.0MB, EPA-454/R-14-003, February 2014)
  - Air Quality Modeling Technical Support Document: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Standards(PDF) (128 pp, 12.1MB, EPA-454/R-14-002, February 2014)
  - Emissions Inventory for Air Quality Modeling Technical Support Document: Proposed Tier 3 Emissions Standards (PDF) (97 pp, 2.57MB, EPA-454/R-13-002, March 2013)
  - Air Quality Modeling Technical Support Document: Proposed Tier 3 Emission Standards (PDF) (169 pp, 8MB, EPA-454/R-13-006, March 2013)
- Public Hearings and Public Comment Period
  - Notice of Extension of Comment Period (PDF) (1 pg, 194K, published May 29, 2013)
  - Stakeholder request letters and EPA response letters:
    - Letter from the American Petroleum Institute to EPA (PDF) (3 pp, 39K, May 7, 2013)
    - Letter to Robert L. Greco, III, Group Director, Downstream & Industry Operation, American Petroleum Institute from Christopher Grundler, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA (PDF) (2 pp, 505K, May 23, 2013)
    - Letter from American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers to EPA (PDF) (2 pp, 144K, April 19, 2013)
    - Letter to Richard Moskowitz, General Counsel, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, from Christopher Grundler, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA (PDF) (2 pp, 541K, May 23, 2013)
    - Letter from Phillips 66 to EPA (PDF) (3 pp, 178K, May 10, 2013)
    - Letter to Robert A. Herman, Senior Vice President, Health, Safety and Environment, Phillips 66 from Christopher Grundler, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA (PDF) (2 pp, 497K, May 23, 2013)
- Public Hearings
  - Hearing Announcement: Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle mission and Fuel Standards; Public Hearing and Comment Period (PDF) (2 pp, 212K, published April 8, 2013)
  - Hearing Transcripts:
    - Transcript from April 24, 2013 Philadelphia, PA hearing (PDF) (322 pp, 491K, April 2013)
    - Transcript from April 29, 2013 Chicago, IL hearing (PDF) (260 pp, 343K, April 2013)
Compliance Help
- Tier 3 Small Entity Compliance Guide (PDF) (33 pp, 146K, EPA-420-B-14-058, July 2014)

Related Information

Fuel Effects Studies and Data

Tier 2 Vehicle and Gasoline Sulfur Rule

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