California Air Resources Board

The certification requirements for heavy-duty vehicles, including fuel cell and electric vehicles, with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) greater than 8,500 lbs for greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants are contained in Sections 95660-95664, Title 17, California Code of Regulations (17 CCR).  Incomplete medium-duty vehicles (8,501-14,000 lbs) certified for criteria pollutants using the heavy-duty engine test procedures and electrified off-road equipment that is self-propelled with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs and having a top speed greater than 55 mph are also subject to these heavy-duty regulations, though alternate compliance options exist. See below for more information. The provisions of 17 CCR incorporate the California Test Procedures which contain altered or replaced sections of Parts 1037 and 1066, Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) relevant to heavy-duty vehicles. Each GHG vehicle family must be assigned a unique family name by the manufacturer, in accordance with the established EPA family naming conventions.

GHG Phase 2 for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Effective April 1, 2019, the new CO2 Emission Standards will be applicable to vocational vehicles and tractors starting with model year 2021. CO2 standards stringency progressively increases in model year 2021, 2024, and 2027. While the California GHG Phase 2 Program is largely harmonized with U.S. EPA’s Phase 2 GHG standards in terms of structure and stringency levels it no longer has the "Deem-to-Comply" provision that was available with the GHG Phase 1 Program.

The California Phase 2 Program contains some distinct provisions regarding credits, labeling, and reporting. For example, additional credits are provided to manufacturers of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles that use low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants in their air conditioning (A/C) systems. As part of the vehicle certification application, manufacturers must include a detailed description of the air conditioning system as well as a complete list of the emission control identifiers (ECI). Also, California offers additional incentives for zero-emissions buses. Additionally, reporting requirements include supplementary details for each vehicle such as vehicle identification number, vehicle configuration, and engine family, as well as indicating the vehicle subfamily identifier. 

California Test Procedures

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GHG Phase 1 for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles are contained in 17 CCR 95660-95664.  Fuel cell and electric vehicles are subject to the GHG regulations, as indicated in 40 CFR 1037.1, as incorporated in the California test procedures. Vehicles can be grouped together in the same vehicle family if they are part of the same regulatory sub-category and have similar characteristics, such as advanced vehicle technology.

Applications for certification must be submitted electronically to the Document Management System (DMS) using the GHG Phase 2 Vehicle Application Template along with all other applicable documents. EPA EV-CIS (Verify) forms will not be accepted. In addition,  Heavy-Duty GHG Vehicles Checklist can be used as guideline for the certification process. 

California Test Procedures

Optional GHG Phase 2 for Vehicles with Zero-Emission Powertrains: Enhanced Electric and Fuel-Cell Vehicle Certification Procedures

There is an optional certification process for incomplete medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles that use a certified Zero Emission Powertrain (ZEP). Manufacturers selecting this certification path must identify the Executive Order authorizing the ZEP family as part of the application package. Details regarding the optional ZEP certification can be found on the Zero-Emission Powertrain Certification Check List webpage. Also, for more details regarding the optional Enhanced Electric and Fuel-Cell Vehicle Certification, please refer to this Enhanced Electric and Fuel Cell Vehicle Certifications webpage.

California Test Procedures