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Regulatory

Announcement

 Printed on Recycled Paper

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Air and Radiation EPA420-F-02-038

September 2002

Office of Transportation and Air Quality

Frequently Asked Questions from

ATV Riders

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adopted

emission standards for recreational vehicles, including snowmobiles,

off-highway motorcycles and ATVs. This information sheet addresses

questions we have heard from ATV owners.

Why is EPA adopting emission standards for ATVs?

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) currently emit about 130,000 tons of hydrocarbons (HC), 550,000 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), and 4,000 tons of

oxides of nitrogen (NOx) each year across the United States. These

emissions help form smog and contain toxic compounds such as benzene, so reducing them will benefit our health and environment. In the

Clean Air Act, Congress requires us to set emission standards that

address these problems. These environmental impacts are described in

more detail in the fact sheet referenced below.

Does my current ATV need to meet these

regulations?

No. ATV manufacturers must ensure that each new ATV sold meets the

new emission standards. The new standards apply only to new ATVs

produced in 2006 or later. Anything manufactured before that model

year would not be affected. We allow several years of lead time between

publication of a final rule and the effective date of new standards. New

emission standards for ATVs therefore won’t affect the ATV you own

now or any ATV you buy before 2006.
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As an ATV owner, how does this affect me?

You may not disable any emission controls installed on your ATV.

Manufacturers explain in their owner’s manual what type of emission

controls exist for each model. Manufacturers may also specify some

minor maintenance that must be done to keep emission controls working

properly over the life of the ATV.

What kind of emission controls is EPA requiring?

We require manufacturers to meet emission standards on an average

basis, which will encourage them to use a broader range of technologies

across their product line. We don’t tell manufacturers what emission

controls to use to comply with the regulations, but we anticipate many

manufacturers will choose to meet them by using four-stroke engines,

which are already common in ATV models. Manufacturers may also

optimize the air-fuel mixture to control emissions or add air to the exhaust stream to further reduce emissions. Manufacturers could also

develop fuel-injection systems or add catalytic converters to control

emissions.

We are also adopting requirements to control permeation emissions from

ATV fuel systems. We expect these requirements to lead to the use of

improved materials that reduce the permeation of fuel through fuel tanks

and hoses and into the atmosphere. This should noticeably reduce the

smell of gasoline from your ATV.

How much will these controls cost?

The cost for emission controls depends on the technology used, the

manufacturing processes, the size of the manufacturer, and other issues.

Most ATV models are already equipped with four-stroke engines, and we

expect the manufacturers’ cost for these models to range from less than

$20 to about $50. We estimate the cost of replacing a two-stroke engine

with a four-stroke engine to be about $200 to $400, depending on engine

size. But, with a four-stroke engine, these costs will be offset somewhat,

because a four-stroke engine uses about 25 percent less fuel and less oil

than a two-stroke engine. The permeation requirements are expected to

cost less than $10 per vehicle, which is also offset by fuel savings.
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How will these controls affect performance and

safety?

We don’t expect the controls to harm performance or safety. Manufacturers have improved ATV designs over the last few years, so fourstroke engines now perform as well as—and possibly better than—twostroke engines. Also, manufacturers will have several years of lead time

to perfect designs. None of the emission controls manufacturers are

expected to use affect safety.

How much pollution do ATVs emit?

We estimated the amount of pollution coming from ATVs based on

testing of currently unregulated recreational vehicles. Because there are

both two-stroke and four-stroke engines currently used in ATVs and

these engines have significantly different emission characteristics, we

estimated separate baseline emission rates for each type of engine. Our

estimates of baseline and future emission rates for ATVs are shown in

the following table.

*Manufacturers meet standards based on emission rates in grams per kilometer; emission estimates are presented here in grams per mile for convenience in

comparing with other programs.

Will these regulations affect where I can ride my

ATV?

No. These regulations do not include any specific restrictions about

where you can ride ATVs. They cover only the exhaust and fuel system

permeation emissions from your new ATV.

Will EPA issue noise regulations?

We are not including any new noise regulations. Most manufacturers

produce ATVs that already meet EPA noise standards for off-highway

motorcycles and we expect this practice to continue.

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Do these regulations apply in California?

California already has emission standards for ATVs. Their program has

been in place since 1997. Our regulations will not affect the California

program, although California may decide to adopt our program in the

future, especially since they do not have requirements for controlling

permeation emissions.

How do these regulations affect youth ATVs?

Youth ATVs are included in these regulations, although manufacturers

have the option to meet slightly less stringent standards for youth models

than for adult ATVs.

Where can I get more information?

You can access documents on recreational vehicles on the Office of

Transportation and Air Quality Web site at:

www.epa.gov/otaq/recveh.htm

You can also contact us at:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Transportation and Air Quality

Assessment and Standards Division

2000 Traverwood Drive

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Voice-mail: (734) 214-4636

E-mail: asdinfo@epa.gov

See other fact sheets:

• Emission Standards for New Nonroad Engines— Large Industrial Sparkignition Engines, Recreational Marine Diesel Engines, and Recreational

Vehicles (EPA420-F-02-037)

• Environmental Impacts of Newly Regulated Nonroad Engines

(EPA420-F-02-033)

• Frequently Asked Questions: Emission Exemption for Racing Motorcycles and

Other Competition Vehicles (EPA420-F-02-045)

• How to Maintain or Rebuild Engines Certified to EPA Standards

(EPA420-F-02-035)