Fuel specifications.

  1. Law
  2. CFR 40
  3. Protection of Environment
  4. Environmental Protection Agency
  5. Air Programs
  6. Control of Emissions from New and In-Use Highway Vehicles and Engines
  7. Emission Regulations for 1994 and Later Model Year Gasoline-Fueled New Light-Duty Vehicles, New Light-Duty Trucks and New Medium-Duty Passenger Vehicles; Cold Temperature Test Procedures
  8. Fuel specifications.

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§ 86.213 Fuel specifications.

(a) Gasoline. Use a gasoline test fuel with ethanol (low-level blend only) or without ethanol as follows:

(1) You must certify using service accumulation fuel and E10 test fuel as specified in § 86.113 for any vehicles required to use a low-level ethanol-gasoline blend test fuel for measuring exhaust emissions. You may use this test fuel any time earlier than we specify.

(2) You may use the test fuel specified in this paragraph (a)(2) for vehicles that are not yet subject to exhaust testing with an ethanol-blend test fuel under § 86.113. Manufacturers may certify based on this fuel using carryover data until testing with the ethanol-blend test fuel is required. The following specifications apply for gasoline test fuel without ethanol:

Expand Table

Table 1 of § 86.213 - Cold Temperature Test Fuel Specifications for Gasoline Without Ethanol

Item Regular Premium Reference procedure 1
(RON+MON)/2 2 87.8±0.3 92.3±0.5 ASTM D2699
ASTM D2700
Sensitivity 3 7.5 7.5 ASTM D2699
ASTM D2700
Distillation Range ( °F):
Evaporated initial boiling point 76-96 76-96 ASTM D86
10% evaporated 98-118 105-125
50% evaporated 179-214 195-225
90% evaporated 316-346 316-346
Evaporated final boiling point 413 Maximum 413 Maximum
Total Aromatic Hydrocarbon (vol %) 26.4±4.0 32.0±4.0 ASTM D1319 or ASTM D5769
Olefins (vol %) 4 12.5±5.0 10.5±5.0 ASTM D1319 or ASTM D6550
Lead, g/gallon 0.01, Maximum 0.01, Maximum ASTM D3237
Phosphorous, g/gallon 0.005 Maximum 0.005 Maximum ASTM D3231
Total sulfur, wt. % 3 0.0015-0.008 0.0015-0.008 ASTM D2622
RVP, psi 11.5±0.3 11.5±0.3 ASTM D5191

1 Incorporated by reference, see § 86.1.

2 Octane specifications are optional for manufacturer testing. The premium fuel specifications apply for vehicles designed to use high-octane premium fuel.

3 Sulfur concentration will not exceed 0.0045 weight percent for EPA testing.

4 ASTM D6550 prescribes measurement of olefin concentration in mass %. Multiply this result by 0.857 and round to the first decimal place to determine the olefin concentration in volume %.

(3) Manufacturers may use the E0 gasoline test fuel specified in § 86.113 for certification instead of the fuel specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, as long as the change in test fuel does not cause cold temperature NMHC, CO, or CO2 emissions to decrease; manufacturers must keep records documenting these emission effects and make them available to EPA upon request.

(4) We may approve alternate fuel specifications that are substantially equivalent to those in paragraph (a)(2) of this section for a manufacturer's testing.

(b) Diesel fuel. Diesel fuel for testing under this subpart must meet the specifications for low-temperature test fuel in 40 CFR 1065.703.

[79 FR 23698, Apr. 28, 2014, as amended at 80 FR 9103, Feb. 19, 2015; 86 FR 34366, June 29, 2021]


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