Alternative Method for Calculating Off-Cycle Credits Under the Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Program: Applications From North American Subaru, Inc.

Alternative Method for Calculating Off-Cycle Credits Under the Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Program: Applications From North American Subaru, Inc.

Topics: Subaru

Alternative Method for Calculating Off-Cycle Credits Under the Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Program: Applications From North American Subaru, Inc.

Byron Bunker
Environmental Protection Agency
5 October 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 193 (Monday, October 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62724-62726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21931]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ- OAR-2020-0427; FRL 10015-29-OAR]

Alternative Method for Calculating Off-Cycle Credits Under the
Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Program: Applications From
North American Subaru, Inc.

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is requesting comment on applications from North American
Subaru, Inc., (Subaru) for off-cycle carbon dioxide (CO2)
credits under EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions
standards. ``Off-cycle'' emission reductions can be achieved by
employing technologies that result in real-world benefits, but where
that

[[Page 62725]]

benefit is not adequately or entirely captured on the test procedures
used by manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with emission
standards. EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas program acknowledges
these benefits by giving automobile manufacturers several options for
generating ``off-cycle'' carbon dioxide (CO2) credits. Under
the regulations, a manufacturer may apply for CO2 credits
for technologies that result in off-cycle benefits. In these cases, a
manufacturer must provide EPA with a proposed methodology for
determining the real-world off-cycle benefit. Subaru has submitted
applications that describe methodologies for determining off-cycle
credits from high efficiency alternator and brushless motor
technologies. Subaru's application is limited to 2017 and later model
year vehicles for the high efficiency alternator and 2019 model year
and later as the brushless motor technology is adopted across Subaru's
product line. Pursuant to applicable regulations, EPA is making
descriptions of the manufacturers' off-cycle credit calculation
methodologies available for public comment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 4, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2020-0427, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The
EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not
submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must
be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered
the official comment and should include discussion of all points you
wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the web,
cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission
methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective
comments, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Wright, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Compliance
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive,
Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Telephone: (734) 214-4467. Fax: (734) 214-4869.
Email address: wright.davida@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) program provides
three pathways by which a manufacturer may accrue off-cycle carbon
dioxide (CO2) credits for those technologies that achieve
CO2 reductions in the real world but where those reductions
are not adequately or entirely captured on the test used to determine
compliance with the CO2 standards, and which are not
otherwise reflected in the standards' stringency. The first pathway is
a predetermined list of credit values for specific off-cycle
technologies that may be used beginning in model year 2014.\1\ This
pathway allows manufacturers to use conservative credit values
established by EPA for a wide range of technologies, with minimal data
submittal or testing requirements. In cases where additional laboratory
testing can demonstrate emission benefits, a second pathway allows
manufacturers to use a broader array of emission tests (known as ``5-
cycle'' testing because the methodology uses five different testing
procedures) to demonstrate and justify off-cycle CO2
credits.\2\ The additional emission tests allow emission benefits to be
demonstrated over some elements of real-world driving not captured by
the GHG compliance tests, including high speeds, hard accelerations,
and cold temperatures. Credits determined according to either of these
methodologies do not undergo additional public review. The third and
last pathway allows manufacturers to seek EPA approval to use an
alternative methodology for determining the off-cycle CO2
credits.\3\ This option is only available if the benefit of the
technology cannot be adequately demonstrated using the 5-cycle
methodology. Manufacturers may also use this option for model years
prior to 2014 to demonstrate off-cycle CO2 reductions for
technologies that are on the predetermined list, or to demonstrate
reductions that exceed those available via use of the predetermined
list.
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\1\ See 40 CFR 86.1869-12(b).
\2\ See 40 CFR 86.1869-12(c).
\3\ See 40 CFR 86.1869-12(d).
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Under the regulations, a manufacturer seeking to demonstrate off-
cycle credits with an alternative methodology (i.e., under the third
pathway described above) must describe a methodology that meets the
following criteria:
Use modeling, on-road testing, on-road data collection, or
other approved analytical or engineering methods;
Be robust, verifiable, and capable of demonstrating the
real-world emissions benefit with strong statistical significance;
Result in a demonstration of baseline and controlled
emissions over a wide range of driving conditions and number of
vehicles such that issues of data uncertainty are minimized;
Result in data on a model type basis unless the
manufacturer demonstrates that another basis is appropriate and
adequate.
Further, the regulations specify the following requirements
regarding an application for off-cycle CO2 credits:
A manufacturer requesting off-cycle credits must develop a
methodology for demonstrating and determining the benefit of the off-
cycle technology, and carry out any necessary testing and analysis
required to support that methodology.
A manufacturer requesting off-cycle credits must conduct
testing and/or prepare engineering analyses that demonstrate the in-use
durability of the technology for the full useful life of the vehicle.
The application must contain a detailed description of the
off-cycle technology and how it functions to reduce CO2
emissions under conditions not represented on the compliance tests.
The application must contain a list of the vehicle
model(s) which will be equipped with the technology.
The application must contain a detailed description of the
test vehicles selected and an engineering analysis that supports the
selection of those vehicles for testing.
The application must contain all testing and/or simulation
data required under the regulations, plus any other data the
manufacturer has considered in the analysis.
Finally, the alternative methodology must be approved by EPA prior
to the manufacturer using it to generate credits. As part of the review
process defined by regulation, the alternative methodology submitted to
EPA for consideration must be made available for public comment.\4\ EPA
will consider public comments as part of its final decision to approve
or deny the request for off-cycle credits.
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\4\ See 40 CFR 86.1869-12(d)(2).
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II. Off-Cycle Credit Applications

Using the alternative methodology approach discussed above, Subaru
is applying for credits for model years 2017 and later. Subaru has
applied for

[[Page 62726]]

off-cycle credits using the alternative demonstration methodology
pathway for the following technologies: high efficiency alternator and
brushless motor. The application covers 2017 model year and later
vehicles. The methodologies described by Subaru are generally
consistent with those used by other manufacturers to determine similar
credit values.

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Total credit A/C on (g CO2/ A/C off (g
Brushless motor credits (g CO2/mi) mi) CO2/mi)
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Manual A/C...................................................... 0.4 0.2 0.2
Automatic A/C................................................... 0.4 0.3 0.1
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High efficiency alternator on % of baseline level
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Credit (g/
VDA efficiency (%) mile)
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67...................................................... 0.0
68...................................................... 0.2
69...................................................... 0.3
70...................................................... 0.5
71...................................................... 0.6
72...................................................... 0.8
73...................................................... 1.0
74...................................................... 1.1
75...................................................... 1.3
76...................................................... 1.4
77...................................................... 1.6
78...................................................... 1.8
79...................................................... 1.9
80...................................................... 2.1
81...................................................... 2.2
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III. EPA Decision Process

EPA has reviewed the applications for completeness and is now
making the applications available for public review and comment as
required by the regulations. The off-cycle credit applications
submitted by Subaru (with confidential business information redacted)
have been placed in the public docket (see ADDRESSES section above) and
on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/ld-hwy/greenhouse/ld-ghg.htm. EPA is providing a 30-day comment period on the applications
for off-cycle credits described in this notice, as specified by the
regulations. The manufacturers may submit a written rebuttal of
comments for EPA's consideration, or may revise an application in
response to comments. After reviewing any public comments and any
rebuttal of comments submitted by manufacturers, EPA will make a final
decision regarding the credit requests. An EPA decision regarding these
off-cycle credit requests will only apply to the vehicles and model
years specified in the applications submitted by each manufacturer. EPA
will make its decision available to the public by placing a decision
document (or multiple decision documents) in the docket and on EPA's
website at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/ld-hwy/greenhouse/ld-ghg.htm.
An EPA decision to approve off-cycle credit requests would only apply
to the manufacturers, model years, vehicles, and technologies specified
in the credit applications. Such decision would not apply to other
vehicles or vehicles from other manufacturers. While the broad
methodologies used by these manufacturers could potentially be used for
other vehicles and by other manufacturers, the vehicle specific data
needed to demonstrate the off-cycle emissions reductions would likely
be different. In such cases, a new application would be required,
including an opportunity for public comment.

Dated: September 29, 2020.
Byron Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2020-21931 Filed 10-2-20; 8:45 am]
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