1. INTRODUCTION

 Transport Canada’s (TC) ecoTECHNOLOGY for Vehicles Program (eTV)

Transport Canada’s ecoTECHNOLOGY for Vehicles Program (eTV) www.tc.gc.ca/eTV is a horizontal initiative of the Clean Air Agenda, which forms part of the Government of Canada’s broader efforts to address the challenges of climate change and air pollution. eTV’s mandate is to carry out proactive work to assess the safety and environmental performance of emerging advanced on-road vehicle technologies. The program tests, evaluates and provides expert technical information on light-duty vehicle (LDV) and heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) technologies that are expected to enter the Canadian market over the next 10-15 years.

Environment AND CLIMATE CHANGE Canada (ECCC)

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)’s mandate is to protect the environment, conserve the country's natural heritage, and provide weather and meteorological information to keep Canadians informed and safe. ECCC is building on its accomplishments with the environment through credible science, effective regulations and legislation, successful partnerships, and high-quality service delivery to Canadians.

2. BACKGROUND

There are a number of technologies currently available for reducing the fuel use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from tractor-trailers. Over the past 5-7 years, voluntary programs across North America, lead by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Program and mirrored in Canada (SmartWay Canada) and Mexico (Tramsporte Limpio) have promoted a number of technologies for reducing emissions, including low rolling resistance tires. In addition, the U.S. EPA and ECCC have adopted regulations to reduce GHGs from heavy-duty vehicles and their engines. These voluntary and mandatory programs, coupled with market demand for fuel-saving technologies, have lead to an increased development and deployment of a number of aerodynamic features, low rolling resistance (LRR) tires, and other fuel-saving technologies for heavy-duty vehicles across North America.

Currently, the U.S. EPA has released a second phase of greenhouse gas emission and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), ECCC intends to propose regulations in Canada that are largely aligned with those in the U.S. Regulatory alignment can often benefit industry by reducing trade barriers and promoting a seamless transportation system throughout North America. While Canadian industry representatives generally support aligned regulations, they have raised concerns specifically with respect to the alignment of requirements for low rolling resistance tires, as there may be differences in tire preferences for Canadian fleets relative to U.S. fleets, with Canadian fleets preferring higher traction tires.

3. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

The objectives of this study are to collect and analyze data from the trucking industry in Canada, with a focus on Class 8 vehicles, in order to estimate the availability and adoption rates of low rolling resistance tires in the Canadian market, as well as market preferences in terms of traction and rolling resistance.

The scope of this work will be limited to trucking fleets, tire manufacturers and truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMS). The preferred data collection method for this project is one-on-one phone interviews. A data template will be developed and refined with the assistance of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. Example data templates are shown in Annex A. These templates were adapted from Statistics Canada’s Trucking Commodity Origin and Destination Survey (active) and Annual Trucking Survey (discontinued). These templates should be revised as necessary.