LEV, SULEV, PZEV and more - Abbreviations and emissions

There are numerous regulations within the world of option fuel and low emission cars. While national regulations on car emissions do exist, some states have a lot more strict standards. Some abbreviations about emissions are made. Here’s what one of the most popular of these abbreviations actually mean.

Resource for this article: Abbreviations and emissions – LEV, SULEV, PZEV and more

LEV and NLEV – Low Emission Vehicle

The LEV or NLEV standard was first instituted by California as the “Low Emission Vehicle” standard, and later was adopted as the required “National Low Emission Vehicle” standard. These standards, for passenger cars, mean emitting less than 3.4 grams per mile of carbon monoxide. Through the 2003 model, this standard is applied.

ULEV – Ultra Low Emission Automobile

Ultra Low Emission Automobile standards apply to autos in model years 2003 to 2010. These ULEV passenger cars have to stay under 1.7 grams per pile of carbon monoxide. Alternately, ULEV cars can only emit half of the emissions of comparable model-year vehicles.

Super Ultra Low Emission Automobile – SULEV

Super Ultra Low Emission Automobiles, otherwise known as SULEV cars, have to emit no more than 10 percent of the average emissions of comparable model-year vehicles. SULEV cars are, most often, ultra-efficient hybrids or alternative-fuel vehicles.

Partial Zero Emission Vehicle – PZEV

PZEV standards are the very same as SULEV. Nevertheless, to qualify as a PZEV, a vehicle has to have a whole bunch of additional controls on gas evaporation and must maintain low emission levels for 150,000 miles. In 2001, there were many engines that qualify as PZEV.

ZEV stands for Zero Emissions Vehicle

Used to refer to hydrogen-fueled or electric cars usually, Zero Emissions Automobiles aren’t always necessarily totally “zero emissions." For instance, a car that charges off of the power grid could be considered ZEV – despite the fact that the grid nevertheless puts out some pollution.

Fuel Economy Standards

Though some states use alphabet soup to describe the efficiency of vehicles, the federal government and EPA use a different system. By 2016, vehicle makers will be required to build cars that have an average fuel economy rating of 35.5 miles per gallon.