North American Steel Industry Comments On Release Of Draft Technical Assessment Report Of Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Fuel Economy Standards

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), commented today on the release of the draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation and California's Air Resources Board. The report – the first step in the mid-term evaluation of fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions regulations, examines a wide range of technology factors relevant to the 2022-2025 model year standards.

"As noted in today's report, mass reduction is an important contributor to fuel economy and we continue to work with automakers on solutions utilizing advance high-strength steels (AHSS)," said Lawrence W. Kavanagh, president of SMDI. "The mass reduction and overall value delivered with these advanced steel grades are why they are the fastest growing class of automotive material."

As automakers look for solutions to reduce vehicle mass and increase fuel economy, material selection is an important factor. AHSS meets these requirements with the lowest emissions impact as noted in the recently released Importance of the Production Phase in Vehicle Life Cycle GHG Emissions white paper.

"The North American steel industry collaborates with automakers to ensure the development of new, advanced steel technologies will significantly contribute to meeting fuel economy requirements," said Dr. Jody Hall, vice president -- automotive market for SMDI. "In addition to reducing tailpipe emissions, steel's lower material production emissions compared to alternative materials could provide further reductions from the transportation sector."

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 19 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and approximately 125 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. 

SMDI increases and defends the use of steel by developing innovative materials, applications and value-added solutions for customers in the automotive, construction and packaging markets. SMDI automotive investors include: AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal USA and Nucor Corporation. For more information on SMDI, visit www.autosteel.org or follow @SMDISteel on Twitter.

SOURCE Steel Market Development Institute

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