Cars and Light-Duty Trucks—California

• Introduction
• Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Standards
• Low Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) Standards

Introduction

California emission standards have been traditionally more stringent than the EPA requirements, but their evolution and structure is similar to that of the federal legislation:

• Tier 1/LEV California emission standards extended through the year 2003.
• LEV II California regulations became effective in 2004.

A number of other states have adopted emission standards equivalent to the California LEV II legislation, including New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont (adoption of California standards has been also considered by Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington).

Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Standards

These California emission standards, which applied through model year 2003, were expressed using the following emission categories:

• Tier 1
• Transitional Low Emission Vehicles (TLEV)
• Low Emission Vehicles (LEV)
• Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV)
• Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV)
• Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV)

Car manufacturers were required to produce a percentage of vehicles certified to increasingly more stringent emission categories, according to schedules based on vehicle fleet emission averages for each manufacturer. After 2003, Tier 1 and TLEV standards were eliminated as available emission categories.

The same standards for gaseous pollutants applied to diesel- and gasoline-fueled vehicles. PM standards applied to diesel vehicles only. Emissions were measured over the FTP 75 test and are expressed in g/mile. The additional SFTP procedures were phased-in in California between 2001 and 2005.

Table 1
California Emission Standards for Light-Duty Vehicles, FTP 75, g/mi

Category	50,000 miles/5 years					100,000 miles/10 years
	NMOGa	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO	NMOGa	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO
Passenger cars
Tier 1	0.25	3.4	0.4	0.08	-	0.31	4.2	0.6	-	-
TLEV	0.125	3.4	0.4	-	0.015	0.156	4.2	0.6	0.08	0.018
LEV	0.075	3.4	0.2	-	0.015	0.090	4.2	0.3	0.08	0.018
ULEV	0.040	1.7	0.2	-	0.008	0.055	2.1	0.3	0.04	0.011
LDT1, LVW <3,750 lbs
Tier 1	0.25	3.4	0.4	0.08	-	0.31	4.2	0.6	-	-
TLEV	0.125	3.4	0.4	-	0.015	0.156	4.2	0.6	0.08	0.018
LEV	0.075	3.4	0.2	-	0.015	0.090	4.2	0.3	0.08	0.018
ULEV	0.040	1.7	0.2	-	0.008	0.055	2.1	0.3	0.04	0.011
LDT2, LVW >3,750 lbs
Tier 1	0.32	4.4	0.7	0.08	-	0.40	5.5	0.97	-	-
TLEV	0.160	4.4	0.7	-	0.018	0.200	5.5	0.9	0.10	0.023
LEV	0.100	4.4	0.4	-	0.018	0.130	5.5	0.5	0.10	0.023
ULEV	0.050	2.2	0.4	-	0.009	0.070	2.8	0.5	0.05	0.013
a - NMHC for all Tier 1 standards Abbreviations:   LVW - loaded vehicle weight (curb weight + 300 lbs)   LDT - light-duty truck   NMOG - non-methane organic gases   HCHO - formaldehyde

Emission standards for medium-duty vehicles are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2
California Emission Standards for Medium-Duty Vehicles, FTP 75, g/mi

Category	50,000 miles/5 years					120,000 miles/11 years
	NMOGa	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO	NMOGa	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO
MDV1, 0-3750 lbs
Tier 1	0.25	3.4	0.4	-	-	0.36	5.0	0.55	0.08	-
LEV	0.125	3.4	0.4	-	0.015	0.180	5.0	0.6	0.08	0.022
ULEV	0.075	1.7	0.2	-	0.008	0.107	2.5	0.3	0.04	0.012
MDV2, 3751-5750 lbs
Tier 1	0.32	4.4	0.7	-	-	0.46	6.4	0.98	0.10	-
LEV	0.160	4.4	0.4	-	0.018	0.230	6.4	0.6	0.10	0.027
ULEV	0.100	4.4	0.4	-	0.009	0.143	6.4	0.6	0.05	0.013
SULEV	0.050	2.2	0.2	-	0.004	0.072	3.2	0.3	0.05	0.006
MDV3, 5751-8500 lbs
Tier 1	0.39	5.0	1.1	-	-	0.56	7.3	1.53	0.12	-
LEV	0.195	5.0	0.6	-	0.022	0.280	7.3	0.9	0.12	0.032
ULEV	0.117	5.0	0.6	-	0.011	0.167	7.3	0.9	0.06	0.016
SULEV	0.059	2.5	0.3	-	0.006	0.084	3.7	0.45	0.06	0.008
MDV4, 8501-10,000 lbs
Tier 1	0.46	5.5	1.3	-	0.028	0.66	8.1	1.81	0.12	-
LEV	0.230	5.5	0.7	-	0.028	0.330	8.1	1.0	0.12	0.040
ULEV	0.138	5.5	0.7	-	0.014	0.197	8.1	1.0	0.06	0.021
SULEV	0.069	2.8	0.35	-	0.007	0.100	4.1	0.5	0.06	0.010
MDV5, 10,001-14,000 lbs
Tier 1	0.60	7.0	2.0	-	-	0.86	10.3	2.77	0.12	-
LEV	0.300	7.0	1.0	-	0.036	0.430	10.3	1.5	0.12	0.052
ULEV	0.180	7.0	1.0	-	0.018	0.257	10.3	1.5	0.06	0.026
SULEV	0.090	3.5	0.5	-	0.009	0.130	5.2	0.7	0.06	0.013
a - NMHC for all Tier 1 standards Abbreviations:   MDV - medium-duty vehicle (the maximum GVWR from 8,500 to 14,000 lbs). The MDV category is divided into five classes, MDV1 .. MDV5, based on vehicle test weight. The definition of “test weight” in California is identical to the Federal ALVW.   NMOG - non-methane organic gases   HCHO - formaldehyde

Low Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) Standards

On November 5, 1998 the California ARB adopted the LEV II emission standards which extend from the year 2004 until 2010.

Under the LEV II regulation, the light-duty truck and medium-duty vehicle categories of below 8500 lbs gross weight are reclassified and have to meet passenger car requirements, as shown in Table 3. As a result, most pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles (old MDV4 and MDV5) are required to meet the passenger car emission standards. The reclassification was phased-in by the year 2007.

Under the LEV II standard, NOx and PM standards for all emission categories are significantly tightened. The same standards apply to both gasoline and diesel vehicles (under revisions adopted on November 15, 2001 gasoline vehicles are no longer exempted from the PM standard). Light-duty LEVs and ULEVs certify to a 0.05 g/mi NOx standard, phased-in starting with the 2004 model year. A full useful life PM standard of 0.010 g/mi is introduced for light-duty diesel vehicles and trucks less than 8500 lbs GVWR certifying to LEV, ULEV, and SULEV standards. The TLEV emission category has been eliminated. It is, therefore, believed that the LEV II emission standards can only be met by vehicles fitted with advanced emission control technologies, such as particulate filters and NOx reduction catalysts.

Table 3
California LEV II Emission Standards, Passenger Cars and LDVs < 8500 lbs, g/mi

Category	50,000 miles/5 years					120,000 miles/11 years
	NMOG	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO	NMOG	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO
LEV	0.075	3.4	0.05	-	0.015	0.090	4.2	0.07	0.01	0.018
ULEV	0.040	1.7	0.05	-	0.008	0.055	2.1	0.07	0.01	0.011
SULEV	-	-	-	-	-	0.010	1.0	0.02	0.01	0.004

Table 4
California LEV II Emission Standards, Medium Duty Vehicles, Durability 120,000 miles, g/mi

Weight (GVWR), lbs.	Category	NMOG	CO	NOx	PM	HCHO
8,500 - 10,000	LEV	0.195	6.4	0.2	0.12	0.032
	ULEV	0.143	6.4	0.2	0.06	0.016
	SULEV	0.100	3.2	0.1	0.06	0.008
10,001 - 14,000	LEV	0.230	7.3	0.4	0.12	0.040
	ULEV	0.167	7.3	0.4	0.06	0.021
	SULEV	0.117	3.7	0.2	0.06	0.010

The LEV II standards also include an extension and tightening of the fleet average standards requiring automakers to reduce fleet emission levels each year through 2010, as well as tightening of evaporative emission standards.