SEMIANNUAL REPORT BY THE COMMITTEE ON MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

IN ADOPTING THE CLEAN AIR AMENDMENTS OF 1970, WHICH ESTABLISHED EXHAUST EMISSION STANDARDS FOR 1975 AND 1976 LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES AND ENGINES, CONGRESS DIRECTED THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO "ENTER INTO APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY AND INVESTIGATION OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY OF MEETING THE EMISSIONS STANDARDS" PROMULGATED IN THE LEGISLATION. THIS FIRST SEMIANNUAL REPORT OF THE NAS COMMITTEE ON MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS DEALS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WITH THE FEASIBILITY OF MEETING THE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED FOR MODEL YEAR 1975. WORK WAS CONDUCTED BY SEVEN SEPARATE PANELS DEALING WITH EMISSION STANDARDS; TESTING, INSPECTION, AND MAINTENANCE; EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS (FOR SPARK-IGNITION INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES); ALTERNATE POWER SOURCES; MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCIBILITY; DRIVEABILITY; AND ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED TIME AT ITS DISPOSAL SINCE ITS CREATION IN THE SUMMER OF 1971, THE COMMITTEE HAD TO RELY ON MANUFACTURERS FOR MOST OF THE PERTINENT DATA. EVALUATION OF THESE DATA INDICATES THAT THEY ARE SUFFICIENTLY RELIABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE TO CONSTITUTE, TOGETHER WITH DATA DERIVED FROM OTHER SOURCES, AN APPROPRIATE BASIS FOR ANALYSIS AND JUDGMENT. THE MAJOR TOPICS ADDRESSED IN THE REPORT ARE STANDARDS AND TESTING, EMISSION-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY, MAINTENANCE, MANUFACTURING, COSTS OF MEETING 1975 EMISSION REQUIREMENTS, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF A ONE-YEAR SUSPENSION OF 1975 STANDARDS. IN SPITE OF CONSTRUCTION OF EXPERIMENTAL VEHICLES, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION ESTABLISHING THE SUSTAINED EFFECTIVENESS, DURABILITY, AND RELIABILITY OF PROTOTYPE 1975 VEHICLES UNDER TYPICAL MILEAGE ACCUMULATION. THE TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLEAN AIR AMENDMENTS FOR 1975 MODELS IS NOT YET AVAILABLE. LARGER MANUFACTURERS MAY BE ABLE TO PRODUCE VEHICLES THAT WILL QUALIFY, PROVIDED THAT PROVISIONS ARE MADE FOR CATALYST REPLACEMENT AND OTHER MAINTENANCE, FOR AVERAGING EMISSIONS OF PRODUCTION VEHICLES, AND FOR THE GENERAL AVAILABILITY OF FUEL CONTAINING SUITABLY LOW LEVELS OF CATALYST POISONS. IN ANY EVENT, THE EMISSION LEVELS REQUIRED IN THE CLEAN AIR AMENDMENTS WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED IN SERVICE UNLESS REGULAR, PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF THE EMISSION-CONTROL SYSTEM IS REQUIRED OF THE OWNER. IN COMPARISON WITH 1973 VEHICLES, THE ESTIMATED COSTS TO THE OWNER OF MEETING THE 1975 REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN STICKER PRICE OF ABOUT $200, A 3--12% INCREASE IN FUEL CONSUMPTION, AN INCREASE IN MAINTENANCE COST, AND DETERIORATION IN DRIVEABILITY OF THE CAR.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 47 Pp, 3 FiG, 8 TAB, 9 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  National Academy of Sciences

  2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20418
• Publication Date: 1972-1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Automobiles; Exhaust gases; Standards
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223734
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 16 1972 12:00AM