EPA rule would repeal emissions requirements for glider kits

October 30, 2017

Land Line Staff

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The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would repeal emissions requirements for glider vehicles, glider engines and glider kits.

The specific details of the rule hadn’t been released as of Monday, Oct. 30.

In August, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the agency would “revisit” provisions of the upcoming Phase 2 of the greenhouse gas regulations. The Phase 2 proposal builds upon a Phase 1 final rule for model years 2014-18 and for equipment manufacturers to increase fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions by about 23 percent by model year 2027.

The inclusion of glider kits created opposition as many owner-operators have turned to the customizable, less expensive option when purchasing a “new” truck. In a 2016 survey conducted by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, 14 percent of owner-operators said they would be buying a glider kit as their next truck. That was 2 percent more than those who were planning on buying new.

Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., also introduced a bill that would exempt glider kits from the Phase 2 regulations.

“The Obama administration’s rule not only ignores the benefits of gliders, it destroys an entire industry,” Black said in a news release.

Last week, a federal appeals court halted implementation of the trailer portion of the Phase 2 regulation, saying that the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association has “satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review.”