About EPA
About the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL)
Related Information
- Contact NVFEL
- Organization chart for the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (PDF)
- NVFEL is a lab in EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
- Doing work with NVFEL
- NVFEL library
- Light-duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009
- NVFEL Energy Savings Performance Contract Fact Sheet
- Gas Saving and Emission Reduction Device Evaluations
Contact Information
NVFEL Office Building
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 214-4300
NVFEL
Lab Building
2565 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 214-4200
What We Do
The National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL), located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is an integral part of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ). NVFEL is a state of the art facility that provides emission testing services for motor vehicle, heavy-duty engine, and nonroad engine programs in support of rulemakings, enforcement actions, and procedures development. Testing activities include:
- certifying that vehicles and engines meet federal emissions and fuel economy standards
- testing engines for in-use compliance
- analyzing fuels, fuel additives, and exhaust compounds.
NVFEL is also home to the Clean Automotive Technology program, EPA's research initiative for developing cost-effective advanced technology for vehicles. NVFEL holds over 60 patents on advanced technologies, and another 27 are pending.
Staff at NVFEL are highly trained professionals with backgrounds in engineering, auto mechanics, statistics, natural resources, and economics. OTAQ staff is divided between EPA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., and NVFEL in Ann Arbor, MI. The majority of OTAQ staff work at NVFEL, and collaborate with Headquarters staff on shared programs and projects. Those programs and projects include:
- Consumer information
- Green Vehicle Guide
-
On-road vehicles and engines
, including:
- Emissions and fuel economy testing
- Emission standards and regulations
- Vehicle recall programs
- New vehicle certification and in-use vehicle compliance
- Inspection and maintenance programs
- Diesel retrofit programs
- Gas saving and emission reduction devices evaluation
- Importing vehicles and engines to the United States
-
Nonroad engines, equipment, and vehicles, including:
- Emissions standards and regulations
- Certification and compliance
- Diesel retrofit programs
- National Clean Diesel Campaign, including
- SmartWay Transport and SmartWay-certified vehicles
- Fuels programs and regulations, including:
- Gasoline fuels, additives, and reformulated gasoline
- Renewable fuel standard program
- Diesel fuel
- Alternative/clean fuels (including methanol, compressed natural gas, electric)
- Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT)
-
State and Local Transportation Resources, including:
- Transportation conformity
- Modeling, Testing, and Research, including:
-
Clean Automotive Technology, including:
- Hydraulic hybrid vehicles
- Low NOx diesel and gasoline HCCI engines
- Alternative fuel technologies
Organization
Margo T. Oge, Director
- Biography
- Phone: 202-564-1682
- Email: otaq@epa.gov
- Mail code: 6401A | EPA mailing addresses
Christopher Grundler, Deputy Director
- Phone: (734) 214-4207
- Email: otaq@epa.gov
OTAQ/NVFEL includes:
- Advanced Technology Division
- Assessment and Standards Division
- Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division
- Laboratory Operations Division
- Transportation and Climate Division
- Transportation and Regional Programs Division
Advanced Technology Division (ATD)
Director: Charles Gray
- Phone: 734-214-4404
What We Do: The Advanced Technology Division is responsible for automotive technology development programs that reduce criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources while improving fuel economy. The major focus of the division is the development of new and emerging technologies, such as hydraulic hybrid vehicles, clean engines like low NOx diesel and gasoline homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, and alternative fuel technologies.
Programs and projects managed by ATD
Assessment and Standards Division (ASD)
Director: Chet France
- Phone: 734-214-4338
What We Do: The Assessment and Standards Division identifies and develops future emission control strategies (such as new vehicle, engine, and fuel quality standards) and national policy on mobile source emission control. The division develops regulations and policies, determines the contribution of mobile sources to pollutant emission inventories, and assesses the feasibility, cost, and in-use effectiveness of emission control technologies.
Programs and projects managed by ASD
- Modeling and Inventories
- Air Toxics
- Cars and Light Trucks
- Heavy-Duty Engines
- Nonroad Engines, Equipment, and Vehicles
- Fuel Programs
Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division (CISD)
Director: Karl Simon
- Phone: 202-343-9626
What We Do: The Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division implements emission standards for all light-duty vehicles, and highway and nonroad engines. The division certifies that these vehicles and engines meet emission standards prior to being sold, and ensures that standards continue to be met throughout the vehicle or engine's life. CISD also promotes, under the National Clean Diesel Campaign, the voluntary clean up of diesel engines.
Programs and projects managed by CISD
Laboratory Operations Division (LOD)
Director: Mike Sabourin
- Phone: 734-214-4316
What We Do: The Laboratory Operations Division (LOD) provides emission testing services for motor vehicle, heavy-duty engine, and nonroad engine programs in sup-port of rulemakings, enforcement actions, and test procedures development. Testing activities include certification, fuel economy in-use compliance, fuels and fuel additives analysis, and exhaust compounds analysis.
Programs and projects managed by LOD
Transportation and Climate Division (TCD)
Acting Director: Sarah Dunham
- Phone: 202-564-9087
What We Do: The Transportation and Climate Division (TCD) is responsible for coordinating OTAQ climate programs. These responsibilities include the technical analyses of the potential vehicle technology and fuel pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, identifying and evaluating various options to promote the technology and fuel pathways, the development or macroeconomic modeling tools for transportation analyses, and the maintenance of transportation greenhouse gas emission inventories.
Programs and projects managed by TCD
Transportation and Regional Programs Division (TRPD)
Director: Sarah Dunham
- Phone: 202-564-9087
What We Do: The Transportation and Regional Programs Division (TRPD) works with regions, states, local governments, and other stakeholders to reduce pollution from fuels, transportation, and nonroad sources. TRPD implements national and regional pollution control programs such as reformulated gasoline (RFG) and inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs. This division develops and supports voluntary initiatives that encourage clean air and liveable communities.