Background:
ARB is responsible for developing statewide programs and strategies to reduce
the emission of smog-forming pollutants and toxics by mobile sources. These include both on- and off-road
sources such as passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks, busses, heavy-duty construction equipment, recreational
vehicles, marine vessels, lawn and garden equipment, and small utility engines. For more information,
please click on any of the following areas, or you may call toll-free 1-800-242-4450. Please consider joining one or more of the ARB's Mobile Sources Related
E-Lists. |
| Sign up to the new Mobile Source Mailouts and Manufacturers Advisory Correspondence
(MAC) list server. By doing this, you will be notified when a new Mobile Source Mailout or MAC has
been posted to the Mobile Source Mailouts or MAC web pages. These email notices can replace
any of the mobile source hard copy mailing lists you may already be on. Also, please view out comprehensive ARB contact list for mobile sources. |
| Aftermarket Catalytic Converters |
View information regarding proposed changes to the Procedures for Evaluation
of Aftermarket Catalytic Converters. |
| Aftermarket, Performance, and Add-On Parts |
The ARB requires vehicle manufacturers to develop engine and emission
equipment systems that reduce the specific pollutants that cause California's severe air quality problem.
State and federal laws prohibit modifications that increase motor vehicle emissions. Since if properly
designed, most performance modifications do not increase vehicle emissions, these same laws also
allow the installation of parts or modifications proven by their manufacturers and the ARB not to
increase vehicle emissions. |
| Air Quality Improvement Program | AB 118 provides approximately $200
million annually through 2015 for three new
programs to fund air quality improvement projects and develop and
deploy
technology and alternative and renewable fuels. |
| ARB Document Management
System |
Manufacturers of new motor vehicles and engines must show that their
products comply with the California emission requirements. To show compliance, manufacturers must supply
applications and supporting documents to ARB for certification of their vehicles and engines. ARB has implemented
a Document Management System (DMS) to reduce the bulk of paper facilitating the electronic submittal
of applications and supporting documents as well as the review of the documents. |
| Border Inspection Program - Heavy-Duty
Vehicles |
ARB, in cooperation with the California Highway Patrol, will establish
inspection protocols of heavy duty vehicles entering this state to ensure that each vehicle has a certified
engine. |
| Buses |
This page lists links to Air Resources Board bus programs. |
| Buying a Clean Car in California |
When shopping for a new or used vehicle, keep in mind that while all
California cars have advanced emission control systems, many newer vehicles are designed to produce
even lower levels of emissions. Use DriveClean.ca.gov to find the cars that are available today along with incentives, technology
descriptions and the latest industry information. If you would like to find a list
of all vehicles certified by the California Air Resources Board, please go to our California Certified Vehicles list. |
| Buying a Vehicle Out of State |
If you would like to bring a car into California, there are a few things you
will want to know. |
| California Hydrogen Highway |
"The
goal of the California Hydrogen Highway Network initiative is to
support and catalyze a rapid transition to
a clean, hydrogen transportation economy in California,
thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil,
and protecting our citizens from health harms related
to vehicle emissions. We have an opportunity to deal
with these problems by investing in California's ability
to innovate our way to a clean hydrogen
future, thus bringing jobs, investment, and continued
economic prosperity to California. We have an opportunity to prove
to the world that a thriving environment and economy can co-exist." (Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger's California Hydrogen Highway Network Action Plan) |
| California Motor Vehicle Service
Information Program |
Governor
Davis signed Senate Bill 1146 into law in September 2000. The
bill directs the ARB to develop regulations that
require vehicle manufacturers to provide all emission-related
service information to the service and aftermarket industries
for 1996 and later models. |
| Carl Moyer Program: Incentives for Cleaner
Heavy-Duty Engines |
This program provides funds on an incentive basis for the incremental
cost of cleaner-than-required engines and equipment. Eligible projects include cleaner on-road, off-road,
marine, locomotive and stationary agricultural pump engines, asÏwell as forklifts, airport
ground support equipment, and auxiliary power units. |
| Carpool Lane Access |
As an incentive to promote use of zero-emission and alternative fuel vehicles,
California now allows single occupancy use of HOV lanes. See the list of qualifying vehicles. |
| Certification Program |
View
the California certification data for motor vehicles
and engines for the 1999 model year which is the
legal prerequisite for their sale, use or registration in
California. |
| Climate Change |
Find information concerning climate change including Assembly Bill 1493
(Pavley) signed by the Governor on July 22, 2002. |
| Diesel Risk Reduction Program |
The
Air Resources Board (ARB) identified diesel PM as a toxic
air contaminant in August 1998. This led to development
of the Diesel Risk Reduction Plan (plan)
to reduce diesel emissions from both
new and existing diesel engines and vehicles,
which was approved in September 2000. One of the
key elements of the plan is to retrofit existing
diesel engines in California to reduce diesel particulate
emissions to near zero, in the shortest time possible. The
program focuses on several control options (identified and discussed in
the plan) such as the catalyst based diesel particulate
filters or traps and other viable alternative
technologies and fuels. |
| E-Cert |
Manufacturers
of motor vehicles and engines must show that their products comply with
the California emission requirements. E-Cert is ARB's electronic
certification submittal system which allows manufacturers to submit
applications for certification of their vehicles and engines. Since
E-Cert's implementation, response time for application submittal has
improved. E-Cert has also reduced the bulk of paper due to the previous
submittal practices, and has helped facilitate the review of the
applications. |
| Emission Inventory Program |
Emission
factors developed for passenger car, light, medium and heavy-duty
vehicles are used to develop models predicting the emissions
for all on-road motor vehicles. Developing off-road emission factors
and the off-road emission model are also part of
this program. Here you will find recent publications,
the on-road model software and commonly requested outputs from
this model known as "model runs." |
| Enforcement Program |
The ARB is responsible for enforcing statutory and regulatory requirements
which apply to vehicular and other mobile sources. Through fair, consistent, and comprehensive
enforcement, this program works to reduce harmful emissions of air contaminants. |
| Environmental Performance Label |
Assembly Bill 1229 requires the ARB to redesign the current
Smog Index Label to include information about both smog forming and global warming gas emissions. This label
will be affixed to the window of every new car sold in California by 2009. |
| Evaporative Emission Controls for Motor
Vehicles |
The ARB administers a program for reducing evaporative emissions from on-road
motor vehicles. Vehicles demonstrate compliance with the applicable "LEV II" evaporative and on-board
refueling vapor recovery (or "ORVR") emission standards, using the appropriate test procedures. |
| Fact Sheets and Videos |
A series of general information materials are available on a variety
of subjects related to vehicles. |
| Fuel Cell Vehicles |
Fuel cells have captured worldwide attention as a clean power source for
electric vehicles (EVs). EVs powered by fuel cells are being developed by many auto manufacturers, and
have generated interest and enthusiasm among industry, environmentalists and consumers. |
| Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection Programs |
ARB
staff inspects trucks and busses for excessive
smoke. Trucks and buses with excessive smoke are subject to
fines starting at $300. Under the Periodic Smoke Inspection
Program, trucking fleet operators are required to self-inspect
their trucks and repair those with excessive smoke. |
| Hydrogen Production |
Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 1505 into law in September 2006.
The bill directs the ARB to develop regulations setforth in the Hydrogen Highway Blueprint Plan that
require evironmental limits be acheived during the production of hydrogen for transportation use. |
| In-Use Testing of Motor Vehicles |
The ARB evaluates emissions performance of in-use vehicles utilizing two primary
programs: In-Use Compliance Testing and In-Use Surveillance Testing. Each program is unique and
involves conducting exhaust and evaporative emissions tests on California vehicles. A program is being
developed for in-use testing of NOx on HDDVs. See the web page by clicking here. |
| Leaf Blower Report |
ARB has prepared a report to the State Legislature on the health and
environmental impacts of leaf blowers on leaf blower operators and the general public. |
| Loan Incentives Program | ARB
is developing innovative financing programs to provide fleet owners,
particularly small business owners, easier access to loan
opportunities. The ARB's loan programs may offer several options to
increase financing accessibility, including loans, loan guarantees, and
other mechanisms to assist industries affected by ARB regulations.
|
| Mailouts |
Both the Mobile Source Control Division (MSCD) and the Mobile Source
Operations Division (MSOD) issue sequentially-numbered mail-outs on a variety of subjects. Mailouts include
such things as meeting notices, meeting summaries, surveys and survey results, subgroup meetings, teleconference
agendas, staff reports, and 45-day notices, to name a few. |
| Manufacturers Advisory Correspondence
(MACs) |
Both the Mobile Source Control Division (MSCD) and the Mobile Source
Operations Division (MSOD) issue sequentially-numbered MACs. |
| Mobile Source Emission Reduction Credits |
View information on the Mobile Source Emission Reduction Credits Program. |
| Off-Road Programs |
This link will take you to ARB's off-road mobile source emission reduction
programs. Here you will find information on the following topics:
|
| On-Road Programs |
This link will take you to ARB's on-road mobile source emission reduction
programs. Here you will find information on the following topics: |
| Portable Fuel Containers |
This measure will reduce hydrocarbon emissions from off-road mobile sources
(lawn mowers, chainsaws, etc.) through the implementation of a "spill-proof" portable refueling
system (a.k.a. "gas can"). Using portable fuel containers that employ an automatic shut-off
feature at the end of a refueling event will essentially eliminate engine refueling spillage. |
| Public Transit Buses |
View information regarding the ARB's efforts to reduce both criteria
pollutant emissions and exposure to toxic air contaminants from urban buses. The regulation affects both
public transit operators and heavy-duty engine manufacturers. |
| School Bus Program |
The ARB staff, in coordination with the California Energy Commission
and the local air pollution control districts, have developed guidelines to establish a Lower Emission School Bus Program.
The guidelines provide criteria for the purchase of new school buses and retrofits of existing
school buses to reduce particulate matter emissions. The bus replacements and retrofits of existing school
buses will reduce school children's exposure to harmful diesel exhaust emissions. |
| School Bus Idling Limit |
Contains information about the School Bus Idling airborne toxic control
measure (ATCM). |
| Smog Check Program |
The Smog Check program is administered by the Bureau of
Automotive Repair (BAR),
which is a part of the State Department of Consumer
Affairs. The Air Resources Board, by contrast, is a part
of the California Environmental Protection Agency. You are
invited to visit the BAR website for additional
information about the Smog Check program. |
| Smoking Vehicles Hotline |
The
dirtiest vehicles found on our roadways contribute
about 40 percent of total automotive pollution. A
well maintained vehicle is a cleaner running, lower
emitting vehicle. This one small effort on your
part will help to keep the air healthy
for all of us. A number of air districts,
along with the ARB, have implemented programs for contacting the
owners of smoking vehicles. If you notice a
smoking vehicle on the roadway, you can help
our effort
by reporting it. |
Software Upgrade for Diesel
Trucks |
The
Air Resources Board (ARB) is working together
with the California Trucking Association (CTA) to get
low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) software installed on every
eligible, electronically-controlled engine registered in
California. |
| Solid Waste Collection Vehicles |
Following the identification of the diesel particulate matter (PM)
as a toxic air contaminant in 1998, the ARB adopted the Diesel Risk Reduction Plan (Plan) in October
2000 to reduce diesel PM emissions and resultant health risk to "near zero" by 2020.
The proposed airborne toxic control measure for diesel particulate matter (PM) from on-road heavy-duty
diesel-fueled residential and commercial solid waste collection vehicles is one in a series of rules designed
to reduce diesel PM from most diesel-fueled heavy-duty vehicles in California. |
| Truck Idling Reduction
Program |
View Information on the On-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck Idling Reduction
Program |
| Voluntary Accelerated Vehicle Retirement
Programs |
Voluntary accelerated
vehicle retirement (VAVR) programs, sometimes referred to as scrap, clunker, or old vehicle buy
back programs, pay owners of eligible vehicles to voluntarily retire their older, higher-emitting
vehicles. The primary goal of vehicle retirement programs is to reduce ozone-forming emissions by
accelerating normal fleet turnover so that newer, cleaner vehicles can be put into use sooner than what
would occur naturally. |
| Zero-Emission Bus |
The Zero Emission Bus (ZEBus) Regulation is designed to encourage the operation
and use of zero-emission buses in urban bus fleets. The ZEBus Regulation is part of the Fleet
Rule for Transit Agencies, which is also referred to as the Public Transit Agencies Regulation. |
