(a) Except as permitted under paragraph (b) of this section or required under paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the full useful life for all LDVs and LLDTs is a period of use of 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The full useful life for all HLDTs, MDPVs, and complete heavy-duty vehicles is a period of 11 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first. These full useful life values apply to all exhaust, evaporative and refueling emission requirements except for standards which are specified to only be applicable at the time of certification. These full useful life requirements also apply to all air conditioning leakage credits, air conditioning efficiency credits, and other credit programs used by the manufacturer to comply with the fleet average CO₂ emission standards in § 86.1818-12.

(b) Manufacturers may elect to optionally certify a test group to the Tier 2 exhaust emission standards for 150,000 miles to gain additional NO_X credits, as permitted in § 86.1860-04(g), or to opt out of intermediate life standards as permitted in § 86.1811-04(c). In such cases, useful life is a period of use of 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first, for all exhaust, evaporative and refueling emission requirements except for cold CO standards and standards which are applicable only at the time of certification.

(c) Where intermediate useful life exhaust emission standards are applicable, such standards are applicable for five years or 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

(d) Where cold CO standards are applicable, the useful life requirement for compliance with the cold CO standard only, is 5 years or 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first.