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

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

Topics: Nissan

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

Byron Bunker
Environmental Protection Agency
8 February 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 24 (Monday, February 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8631-8633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02517]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ- OAR-2019-0588; FRL-10016-40-OAR]

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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is requesting comment on applications from Nissan North
America, Inc., (Nissan) for off-cycle carbon dioxide (CO2)
credits under

[[Page 8632]]

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 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. Nissan has submitted
applications that describe methodologies for determining off-cycle
credits from low-power-consumption compressor clutch technology. The
application for compressor clutch technology includes test data to
establish the 0.3 grams CO2/mile credit value compared to the industry
standard clutch with similar performance characteristics (circa 2012).
Nissan's application is limited to 2017 and later model year vehicles.
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 March 10, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ- OAR-
2019-0588, 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

[[Page 8633]]

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, Nissan
is applying for credits for model years 2017 and later. Nissan has
applied for off-cycle credits using the alternative demonstration
methodology pathway for the low-power-consumption clutch technology.
The application covers 2017 model year and later vehicles. The
methodologies described by Nissan are generally consistent with those
used by other manufacturers to determine similar credit values. The
requested credit value is 0.3 grams CO2/mile.

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 Nissan (with confidential business information redacted)
have been placed in the public docket (see ADDRESSES section above) and
on EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/ve-certification/compliance-information-light-duty-greenhouse-gas-ghg-standards. 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
https://www.epa.gov/ve-certification/compliance-information-light-duty-greenhouse-gas-ghg-standards. 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: November 10, 2020.
Byron Bunker,
Director, Compliance Division, Office of Transportation and Air
Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2021-02517 Filed 2-5-21; 8:45 am]
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