Development and application of a United States real-world vehicle emissions database
TRUE publication
Real-world NOx emissions from diesel pickup trucks in the United States: A 2023 update
The latest report from the TRUE Initiative examines the real-world emissions of diesel pickup trucks on the road in the United States today. This study, which analyzed more than 360,000 data samples from Virginia and Colorado between 2015-2023, found that the emissions impact of these diesel pickup trucks is significant. Truck models from Ford, Ram, GMC, and Chevrolet are emitting on average nearly 5 times above the U.S. EPA emissions limit according to real-world measurements.
From this data set, the study also found that Ford trucks of model years 2010 to 2019 emit between 3 to 10 times more harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in real-world driving conditions than other similarly sized trucks. Ford F-250/350s were also found to be particularly susceptible to changes in temperature when compared to other manufacturers.
Estimates indicate there are 850,000 to 1,340,000 Ford F-250/F-350 trucks of model year 2010 to 2019 that contribute approximately 10,800 to 28,800 metric tons of excess NOx emissions in one year of operation.
Figure 2. Fuel-specific NOx emissions trends by vehicle model compared with the heavy-duty emissions limit approximated in grams per kilogram of fuel.
The shaded region represents the 95% confidence interval.
Figure 3. Distance-specific NOx emissions trends by vehicle model compared with the Tier 3 light-duty emissions Federal Test Procedure limit.
The shaded regions around the lines represent the 95% confidence interval and the shaded gray region represents the range of emissions limit.
