On June 19, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration jointly proposed new standards to reduce the fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of new heavy-duty vehicles, tractors, trailers, and engines.

As policymakers and stakeholders in India begin the regulatory development process for fuel efficiency standards for new heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), one of the key areas of debate has been whether or not separate performance standards for engines are an appropriate first step.

This briefing paper reviews the status of motor vehicle energy efficiency and emissions control programs in G20 nations. These programs have four components: low-sulfur fuel standards; tailpipe emissions standards for new vehicles; fuel economy and CO2 standards for new vehicles; and voluntary Green Freight programs.

The primary objectives of this paper are to explore methods for testing and certifying the fuel efficiency of HDVs and vehicle components in the established and emerging regulatory programs around the world and the implications for India, as policymakers there deliberate establishing a performance standard of their own.