(Redirected from Light trucks)'Light truck or light duty truck' is a classification for
trucks or truck-based
vehicles with a
payload capacity of less than 4,000
pounds (1,815
kg).
United States
The
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) defines a light-duty truck to be any
motor vehicle having a
gross vehicle weight rating (
curb weight plus
payload) of no more than 8,500 pounds (3,855.5 kg) which is “(1) Designed primarily for
purposes of transportation of property or is a derivation of such a vehicle, or (2) Designed primarily for
transportation of persons and has a capacity of more than 12 persons, or (3) Available with special features enabling
off-street or off-highway operation and use.” (40CFR86.082-2)
Fuel efficiency
The
United States government uses light truck as a vehicle class in regulating
fuel economy through the
Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard. The class includes
vans,
minivans,
sport utility vehicles, and
pickup trucks.
Light trucks have lower fuel economy standards than cars under the premise that these vehicles are used for utilitarian purposes rather than personal transportation.
Since light trucks sold in the United States are increasingly being used for personal use, some have advocated applying higher economy standards to light trucks that are not used for utilitarian purposes. One argument in support of this is that light trucks are sometimes built on a
unibody architecture, which is less strong than a
body-on-frame chassis and therefore would not be suited for utilitarian purposes;
crossover SUVs are a common example.
See also
★
California Air Resources Board
★
Commercial vehicle
★
Emission standard
★
Large Goods Vehicle
External links
★
Regulatory Announcement on EPA changing definitions of the light and heavy-duty trucks