EPA Regulations Archives - Engine Builder Magazine
Maine Rejects ICE Ban

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection has voted against the proposal to align the state with California’s latest clean-car rules.

SEMA Advocacy Delays EPA Tailpipe Emissions Reduction Requirements

After advocacy from small businesses across the country that represent the specialty automotive aftermarket and other key stakeholders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is delaying its most aggressive tailpipe emissions reduction requirements from model year 2027 to model year 2030. The EPA’s final rule also slightly increased the average tailpipe emissions for light-duty vehicles,

SEMA-Supported Bills Filed to Repeal Virigina ICE Ban

Virginia legislators have introduced companion bills (H.B. 3 and S.B. 3) to repeal the Commonwealth’s zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandates. The legislation, filed by Delegate Tony Wilt and Senator Richard Stuart, follows SEMA’s first-ever independent expenditure effort in Virginia’s November elections around the state’s attachment to California’s emissions standards, including its impending zero-emissions vehicle mandates. The mandates would

Connecticut Withdraws Proposed IC Engine Ban

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has withdrawn SEMA-opposed regulation that would have required the state to adopt California’s strict motor-vehicle emissions laws and outlaw the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars beginning in 2035.  The move to withdraw the regulation came after bipartisan opposition from state lawmakers, with the governor acknowledging that the proposal lacked sufficient

EPA Pursues New Emissions Standards to Spur Transition to EVs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new federal emissions standards intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs). The sales would be achieved by reducing multi-pollutant emissions, including greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria pollutants (particulate matter (PM), ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO) from new light-duty and medium-duty (8,501 to

EPA Enforcement Hits Small Speed Shop with $180,000 Fine

 As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) targets and increases enforcement against automotive aftermarket companies through its National Compliance Initiative, the federal agency is harming legitimate businesses in the motorsports industry. Despite the EPA’s nonbinding, informational claims that it is not targeting aftermarket companies that produce parts for dedicated race cars, the EPA continues to pursue

The EPA and Hot Rod Culture

This is kind of a gray area for me. Obviously, being a passionate car guy who’s willing to throw turbochargers on anything and really enjoys performance, it creates this internal conflict between wanting to be somebody who participates in a greener view of the future and the well-being of my passion, career and industry. I’m

EPA Updates Vehicle & Tampering Policy

The EPA has issued an update to its Tampering Policy, which pertains to vehicle and engine tampering and aftermarket defeat devices under the Clean Air Act. The new memo replaces the prior enforcement, Memorandum 1A, which has been in place since 1974. The revision states: EPA typically does not take enforcement action for conduct that might

California Governor to Phase Out Gas-Powered Cars by 2035

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a controversial Executive Order this week instructing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to draft regulations requiring that all new cars and passenger trucks sold in the state be zero-emissions by 2035. Once drafted, CARB’s proposed regulations will be subject to a lengthy regulatory process, including legal, economic and environmental

Diesel Engines & the EPA

Before the EPA started snooping around, there were relatively few restrictions on diesels. That’s starting to change.

Regulations and Research: How PC-11 Became a CK-4/FA-4 Reality

PC-11 had its beginnings at least a decade ago due to the EPA and government regulators pushing for higher heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. The American Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) wrote a letter to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) asking for their help in developing new, more fuel efficient diesel engine oils. Everyone agreed that new heavy-duty engine oil specifications would be needed to improve fuel economy significantly. Engine manufacturers, chemical companies, and oil marketers then began the process of identifying new engine and lab tests to define the performance levels needed to create these oils. Considerable R & D has occurred since that letter.