Long-Term Fuel-Specific NO x and Particle Emission Trends for In-Use Heavy-Duty Vehicles in California.

Two California heavy-duty fleets have been measured in 2013, 2015, and 2017 using the On-Road Heavy-Duty Measurement System. The Port of Los Angeles drayage fleet has increased in age by 3.3 model years (4.2-7.5 years old) since 2013, with little fleet turnover. Large increases in fuel-specific particle emissions (PM) observed in 2015 were reversed in 2017, returning to near 2013 levels, suggesting repairs and or removal of high emitting vehicles. Fuel-specific oxides of nitrogen (NO x) emissions of this fleet have increased, and NO x after-treatment systems do not appear to perform ideally in this setting. At the Cottonwood weigh station in northern California, the fleet age has declined (7.8 to 6 years old) since 2013 due to fleet turnover, significantly lowering the average fuel-specific emissions for PM (-87%), black carbon (-76%), and particle number (-64%). Installations of retrofit-diesel particulate filters in model year 2007 and older vehicles have further decreased particle emissions. Cottonwood fleet fuel-specific NO x emissions have decreased slightly (-8%) during this period; however, newer technology vehicles with selective catalytic reduction systems (SCR) promise an additional factor of 4-5 further reductions in the long-haul fleet emissions as California transitions to an all SCR-equipped fleet.