Paper No. 00-1125 PREPRINT Duplication of this preprint for publication or sale is strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the Transportation Research Board. Title: To LDT or Not to LDT: An Assessment of the Principal Impacts of Light-Duty Trucks Author: Kara Kockelman The following paper is a pre-print and the final publication can be found in Transportation Research Record No. 1738: 3-10, 2000. Transportation Research Board 79th Annual Meeting January 9-13, 2000 Washington, D.C. To LDT or Not to LDT: An Assessment of the Principal Impacts of Light-Duty Trucks by Kara Maria Kockelman Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering The University of Texas at Austin 6.9 E. Cockrell Jr. Hall Austin, TX 78712-1076
[email protected] Phone: 512-471-0210 FAX: 512-475-8744 Paper Submitted to Transportation Research Board, July 1999 Paper Revised, November 1999 Word Count: 7,100 + 4 Tables + 1 Figure Abstract Light-duty truck classification allows manufacturers and owners to avoid a host of passenger-car regulations, including gas-guzzler taxes, safety standards, and more stringent emissions and fuel- economy standards. This paper describes the distinct policies that govern light duty trucks and passenger cars, evaluates the emissions, safety, and fuel economy differences that have resulted, and investigates the household use differences across such vehicles. The result is that when comparing the average new pickup truck or sports utility vehicle to a passenger car, there appears to be an implicit subsidy of roughly $4,400, favoring the light-duty truck. When comparing minivans to passenger cars, this subsidy is estimated to be around $2,800.