Informal Rulemaking Activity for the Low-Emission Vehicle Program - LEV III

Posted: May 7, 2018

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering options to best ensure that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission benefits in California from the current national program and California's light-duty vehicle GHG regulation are maintained. CARB's GHG standards allow manufacturers the option to comply by meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) greenhouse gas standards through model year 2025 (referred to as the "deemed to comply" provision). The U.S. EPA has withdrawn its prior determination that the federal standards for model years 2022 through 2025 are appropriate, and determined those standards are not appropriate and may be too stringent. CARB disagrees and may consider amending the regulations to clarify the deemed to comply provision applies to the current federal GHG standards, should U.S. EPA change the standards for any model years. CARB is soliciting public input on potential alternatives to this amendment. While CARB believes its regulatory text is clear, CARB is exercising its discretion to seek public input consistent with CARB's commitment to transparency and deliberate decision-making. Input is requested by May 31, 2018.

The CARB notice of this action and instructions for submitting responses to this request are available at:

Posted: July 28, 2016

CARB staff, in collaboration with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have developed a joint draft Technical Assessment Report that provides the agencies initial technical analysis on a wide range of issues relevant to greenhouse gas, or GHG, emission standards and corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE standards for the 2022 through 2025 model years for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles to inform a Midterm Evaluation of these standards under California and federal regulations.

This report is available for review and public comment below:

The CARB notice of this action and instructions for requesting this report in an alternate format is available at: 

The Federal Register notice of this action is available at: 

CARB invited comments on the joint draft Technical Assessment Report to be submit by September 26, 2016. 

Posted: January 14, 2016

Under contract to the Air Resources Board, Control-Tec, LLC, has completed a study evaluating the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from light-duty vehicles through improvements of vehicle road load technologies, “Technical Analysis of Vehicle Load-Reduction Potential for Advanced Clean Cars.” The results of this study, completed in April 2015, demonstrated that a reduction in tailpipe CO2 emissions of up to 10.4% is achievable if the best-in-class-performance of each load attribute available on 2014 model year vehicles is applied to all vehicle models in the same vehicle class.

Posted: October 9, 2015

The Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) conducted a public meeting on October 22, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at the South Coast Air Quality Management District headquarters, to hear an Informational Update on Advanced Clean Cars Particulate Matter (PM) Measurement Feasibility.

The Hearing Notice and Technical Support Document for this item are now available.

Posted: June 2, 2014

The staff presentation for the California Air Resources Board’s May 30, 2014 public workshop to discuss proposed modifications to California's LEV III criteria pollutant regulations and hybrid electric vehicle test procedures is now available.

Posted: May 9, 2014

The staff of California Air Resources Board (CARB or "Board") is developing a proposal for the Board's consideration later this year to amend California's LEV III criteria pollutant regulations and hybrid electric vehicle test procedures. ARB will host a public workshop to discuss these proposed modifications on May 30, 2014.

The workshop will be available via webinar.

Posted: October 5, 2012

Under contract to the Air Resources Board, Lotus Engineering, Inc., has completed a study on vehicle lightweighting, “Evaluating the Structure and Crashworthiness of a 2020 Model-Year, Mass-Reduced Crossover Vehicle Using FEA Modeling.” Building on a March 2010, Lotus study, “An Assessment of Mass Reduction Opportunities for a 2017-2020 Model Year Vehicle Program”, this study demonstrated the crashworthiness of low mass body-in-white using computer aided analysis and simulation. The study also provides a discussion on the applicability of a low-mass body structure engineering and manufacturing to other vehicle classes as well as a bill of material with a full cost analysis for the engineering and manufacturing of a body structure. The study is the most comprehensive study of its kind to date and stands as an important body of work on vehicle lightweighting. Included with the report are a USEPA contracted peer review and Lotus’ responses to the peer review.

Posted: August 30, 2012

To further California's commitments in support of a National Program to regulate passenger vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, tomorrow, (Friday, August 31, 2012) CARB will submit to California's Office of Administrative Law a regulatory proposal that would allow automobile manufacturer compliance with the EPA National Program greenhouse gas requirements for model years 2017-2025 to serve as compliance with California's adopted greenhouse gas emissions requirements for those same model years. The Office should approve ARB's proposal for publication on Friday, September 14, 2012, which will start a comment period through the Board's planned November 15, 2012 hearing on the proposal. Documents regarding that proposal are described at /regact/2012/leviiidtc12/leviiidtc12.htm 

Informal Regulatory Development Documents for LEV III Amendments

July 12, 19 and 26, 2011: CARB held three evening community meetings in Fresno, Pacoima and Oakland, CA to get input on the Advanced Clean Car Regulations. For more information regarding these workshops, contact CleanCars@arb.ca.gov.

July 19, 2011: CARB will host a scoping meeting for Advanced Clean Cars, changes to certification fuel specifications and the environmental performance label - LEV III. For more information regarding this workshop, contact CleanCars@arb.ca.gov.

November 16, 2010: CARB hosted a public workshop to discuss Advanced Clean Cars program and amendments to California's Low Emission Vehicle and Zero-Emission Vehicle regulations to passenger cars - LEV III. For more information regarding this workshop, contact CleanCars@arb.ca.gov.

September 2010: CARB and the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Transportation released an Interim Joint Technical Assessment Report

May 18, 2010: CARB hosted a public workshop to discuss amendments to California's Low Emission Vehicle regulations to passenger cars - LEV III. For more information regarding this workshop, contact CleanCars@arb.ca.gov.

Preliminary Discussion Papers

A video recording of the workshop can be accessed.

March 2, 2010: CARB hosted a public workshop to discuss amendments to California's Low Emission Vehicle regulations to passenger cars - LEV III. For more information regarding this workshop, contact CleanCars@arb.ca.gov.