EPA Seeks Input on F-factor for E85 FFVs DEADLINE: October 26, 2020
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published notice on Aug. 26 requesting comment on sources and analytical approaches on which to base an EPA determination of an updated weighting factor (F-factor) for E85 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) for model years 2021 and later.
The notice explains that the F-factor for a given model year is used to weight the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of an FFV operating on E85 with the GHG emissions of the vehicle operating on conventional gasoline when calculating the compliance value for that model year. The F-factor is also used in the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) program for weighting the measured fuel economy of FFVs when operating on E85.
Starting with model year 2016, regulations for EPA’s GHG program for passenger automobiles and light trucks describe how to determine the GHG value for FFVs that run on gasoline or on E85. The F-factor is used to weight the gasoline and E85 emissions values of the tested vehicle model together to determine the combined value to be used for the vehicle model in the fleet average calculations.
According to the EPA, the default approach is to use an F-factor of zero so that the carbon dioxide emissions value of the vehicle is measured when the vehicle is operated solely on gasoline. The alternative is to combine the gasoline and E85 carbon dioxide values together in a way that accounts for real-world use of E85 by using an alternative F-factor established by EPA.
The notice explains that EPA’s regulations establish two different approaches that can be used to determine the value of the F-factor. Under one approach, manufacturers may request that EPA determine and publish by guidance an appropriate value for the E85 F-factor, based on EPA’s assessment of the real-world use of E85, to be used fleetwide. Under the other approach, a manufacturer may submit data demonstrating the actual real-world use of E85 by its vehicles. EPA would determine whether the data is adequate and what an appropriate F-factor should be for the manufacturer.
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EPA has since received a request from auto manufacturers to establish an F-factor for model year 2020 and later vehicles. The agency said it has not conducted a technical analysis to support the F-factor since 2014. In the letter extending the 0.14 F-factor through model year 2019, the EPA said it intended to develop a forward-looking analysis for model year 2020 and later based on the agency’s “assessment of real-world use of alternative fuel.”
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Comments can be submitted on www.Regulations.gov under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0104 through Oct. 26. Additional information is available on the Federal Register website. READ MORE
