State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Ventura County APCD Headquarters
Supervisors' Chambers
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA
May 20, 1981
10:00 a.m.
AGENDA
Page
81-9-1 Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to Title 001
13, Section 1960.1, California Administrative
Code, Regarding Exhaust Emission Standards and
Test Procedures for 1983 and Subsequent Model
Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks and Medium-
Duty Vehicles, and Conforming Amendments to
Related Provisions Governing Emission Control
System Warranty (Title 13, CAC Sections 2035-
2046).
81-9-2 Other Business
a. Closed Sessions
1. Personnel (as authorized by the State Agency
Open Meeting Act).
2. Litigation (pursuant to the attorney-client
privilege).
b. Research Proposals
c. Delegations to Executive Officer
ITEM NO.: 81-9-1
Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to Title 13, Section
1960.1, California Administrative Code, Regarding Exhaust
Emission Standards and Test Procedures for 1983 and Subsequent
Model Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks and Medium-Duty Vehicles,
and Conforming Amendments to Related Provisions Governing
Emission Control System Warranty (Title 13, CAC Sections 2035-2046).
SUMMARY AND STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR PROPOSED RULEMAKING
Section 43101 of the California Health and Safety Code authorizes
the Air Resources Board (the "Board") to adopt and implement
emission standards for new motor vehicles, providing the Board
finds the standards to be necessary and technologically feasible,
and taking into account the impact of such standards on the
economy of the state, including fuel efficiency.
California exhaust emission standards currently require that
passenger cars and certain light-duty trucks and medium-duty
vehicles (those under 4000 pounds inertia weight) meet a 0.4 gram
per mile (gm/mi) oxides of nitrogen standard in 1983 and
subsequent years. The standards are contained in Section
12960.1, Article 2, Subchapter 1, Chapter 3, title 13, California
Administrative Code, which also requires that these vehicles meet
a 7.0 gm/mi (or, for trucks, 9.0 gm/mi) carbon monoxide (CO)
standard and a 0.39 gm/mi non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC)
standard.
The current regulations also provide an optional alternative to
the 0.4 gm/mi NOx standard. For 1983 and subsequent years, a NOx
standard of 1.0 gm/mi is allowed for passenger cars, and for
light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles under 4000 pounds, if
a vehicle can pass a 100,000 mile durability test, rather than
the standard 50,000 mile durability test.
Several vehicle manufacturers have petitioned the Board to
reconsider implementing the 1983 NOx standard because they
believe that certain technical or financial considerations could
render them unable to meet 0.4 gm/mi NOx standard in 1983 across
their entire product line.
After conducting a thorough review of the technology available
and now in use, the staff believes that most manufacturers will
be able to meet the 0.4 gm/mi NOx standards in 1983.
Three-way catalyst systems appear to be the only NOx control
strategy currently available that will allow vehicles to meet a
0.4 gm/mi NOx standard. Most 1981 California engine families are
already equipped with three-way catalysts and a closed loop fuel
control systems in order to meet the 1981 California Passenger
car engine families already are certified at 0.4 gm/mi NOx or
below.
However, most vehicles which are presently meeting the 1983 NOx
standard and equipped with small displacement, fuel injected
engines. In addition, multipoint fuel injection appears to be
superior to central fuel injection of carburetion in responding
to closed loop fuel control signals and distributing fuel
uniformly. The cost for multipoint fuel injections systems is
somewhat higher than for other fuel systems, and some engines
must be redesigned for fuel injection.
In general, domestic manufacturers lag behind their foreign
competitors in the use of multipoint, fuel injections systems
although the trend is in that direction. However, these same
manufacturers are facing serious economic problems stemming in
part from their inability to compete with the more fuel efficient
imported vehicles, and they are devoting substantial capital to
downsizing their vehicles, so as to become competitive in the
area of fuel economy. Poor sales have reduced the total amount
of capital available for development work, and the need to
upgrade carbureted engines to fuel injection, and to design new
emission controls over a wide range of vehicle size, is an
additional drain on their limited development budgets.
In order to reduce the emission control development burden on the
domestic and small volume manufacturers without adversely
affecting air quality, the staff recommends that the Board adopt
new, primary 75,000 mile exhaust emission standards of 0.39 gm/mi
NMHC, 7.0 gm/mi CO and 0.7 gm/mi NOx for passenger cars, and 0.39
gm/mi NMHC, 9.0 gm/mi CO and 0.7 gm/mi NOx for light-duty trucks
and medium-duty vehicles (0-3999 pounds EIW) for 1983 and
subsequent years. A 75,000 mile durability test would be used to
demonstrate compliance with these standards instead of the
current 50,000 mile or optional 100,000 mile tests. These new
standards should provide flexibility for manufacturers without
any adverse effect on air quality. The current 50,000 and
100,000 mile exhaust emissions standards would remain as optional
standards, with the 100,000 mile durability provisions amended to
conform to the 75,000 mile requirements.
Accompanying the 75,000 mile durability test would be a limited
warranty requirement. After the current 50,000 mile warranty, an
additional 25,000 miles of warranty coverage would be required
for catalysts, air pumps, and other systems principally related
to emissions control. Carburetors, distributors, and other parts
would not be covered beyond 50,000 miles. Conforming changes to
the Board's warranty regulations (Title 13, CAC Sections 2035-2046) are
proposed to reflect the 75,000 mile durability requirement.
Finally, the staff is proposing certain nonsubstantive,
clarifying changes to the above-referenced code sections and test
procedures.
The staff report regarding this item discusses the status of
vehicle NOx control technology, and the impact of the proposed
amendments on vehicle cost, fuel economy, and emissions.