Terminology Services

Importing Vehicles and Engines Glossary

Description:

The definitions of the terms and acronyms used in the process of importing vehicles and engines into the U.S..

Publishing Organization:

Office of Air and Radiation/Office of Transportation and Air Quality/Compliance Division

Last Update:

May 21, 2013

Program Site:

https://www.epa.gov/importing-vehicles-and-engines/learn-about-importing-vehicles-and-engines

Terms & Acronyms

Search Terms

Contains Begins Exact Match

	Term
	Act	Definition: The Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C 7401 et seq.) requires EPA to regulate emissions from light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles, and the engines used in heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. Violations of the Act can result in civil penalties of up to $37,500 per violation.
	All Terrain Vehicle	Acronym: ATV
	Bond	Definition: A bond is a formal agreement by the importer to forfeit a specified sum of money, based on the value of the vehicle, engine, or equipment being imported, if he or she fails to adhere to the conditions of importation.
	Canadian Version Vehicle	Definition: A vehicle that complies with Canadian safety and emission standards and that is manufactured for the Canadian market.
	Carbon Monoxide	Definition: A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced by incomplete fossil fuel combustion. Acronym: CO
	Catalyst	Definition: A substance that changes the speed or yield of a chemical reaction without being consumed or chemically changed by the chemical reaction.
	Catalytic Converter	Definition: An air pollution abatement device that removes pollutants from motor vehicle exhaust, either by oxidizing them into carbon dioxide and water or reducing them to nitrogen.
	Certificate Holder	Definition: A manufacturer holding a valid Certificate of Conformity issued by EPA.
	Certificate of Conformity	Definition: The document issued to a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine manufacturer by EPA under section 206(a) of the Act. A Certificate of Conformity certifies that a particular class of motor vehicle conforms to the EPA requirements. Every class of motor vehicle introduced into U.S. commerce must have a Certificate of Conformity which is valid for only one model year of production.
	Certified	Definition: Covered by a Certificate of Conformity issued by EPA.
	Clean Air Act	Acronym: CAA
	Code of Federal Regulations	Acronym: CFR
	Compressed Natural Gas	Acronym: CNG
	Compression Ignition	Acronym: CI
	Cubic Centimeter	Acronym: cc
	Curb Weight	Definition: The weight of a vehicle with standard equipment and fluids, but not including options, driver, passengers or cargo.
	Custom Brokers	Definition: Custom brokers are licensed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct CBP business on behalf of importers. They take the responsibility of filling out paperwork and obtaining a customs bond for the importer. There is no legal requirement for an importer to hire a customs broker to clear its goods. However, many importers opt to do so for the convenience.
	Department of Motor Vehicles	Acronym: DMV
	Emission Testing	Definition: As used in this document, "emissions test" is used as a convenient abbreviation for the collection of all applicable federal emission test procedures. This should not be confused with the simpler and cheaper emissions tests that are required by many states, and conducted by state test facilities, or garages and dealers.
	EPA Certified Configuration	Definition: An EPA-certified configuration is an "unaltered vehicle" manufactured in conformity with U.S. federal emission requirements, with a U.S. emissions compliance label in the engine compartment that identifies it in the English language as conforming to all EPA requirements.
	Excluded Vehicle/Engine	Definition: Excluded vehicles or engines that have been excluded from the emission requirements of the Clean Air Act. Reasons for exclusion include vehicle age (i.e., manufactured prior to the regulations, fuel type, maximum speed, competition or racing features, or lack of features associated with practical street or highway use).
	Exempt Vehicle/Engine	Definition: Exempt vehicles or engines meet certain criteria that allow them to be exempt from EPA emission standards and/or other emission requirements that would otherwise apply to that category of vehicles or engines.
	Federal Test Procedure (City Test)	Acronym: FTP
	Filler Neck Restrictor	Definition: A device that narrows the filler neck to a vehicle's gas tank in order to prevent accidental use of leaded gas, which was historically dispensed from a larger diameter filler nozzle than unleaded gasoline. Leaded gasoline is generally no longer commercially available in the United States.
	Gas Guzzler Tax	Definition: The Energy Tax Act of 1978 initially established a "gas guzzler tax" on the sale of new vehicles whose fuel economy failed to meet certain statutory levels. Subpart F of 40 CFR Part 600 sets out the procedures for EPA's determination of the gas guzzler tax.
	Gross Vehicle Weight Rating	Definition: The weight specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle. The loaded weight of the vehicle includes passengers, options, and cargo. Acronym: GVWR
	Heavy-duty Diesel Engine	Definition: A heavy-duty engine that runs on diesel fuel. Acronym: HDDE
	Heavy-duty Engine	Definition: Any engine to be used in a heavy-duty truck or heavy-duty vehicle for the purpose of propelling the truck or vehicle. Acronym: HDE
	Heavy-duty Gasoline Engine	Definition: A heavy-duty engine that runs on gasoline. Acronym: HDGE
	Heavy-duty Truck	Definition: Any motor vehicle (including buses) having a GVWR of greater than 8,500 pounds, or curb weight of more than 6,000 pounds, or that has a basic vehicle frontal area in excess of 45 square feet, (40 CFR 86.1803-01). Acronym: HDT
	Heavy-duty Truck or Vehicle Engine	Definition: Any engine to be used in a heavy-duty truck or heavy-duty vehicle for the purpose of propelling the truck or vehicle. Acronym: HDE
	Heavy-duty Vehicle	Definition: Any motor vehicle (including buses) having a GVWR of greater than 8,500 pounds, or curb weight of more than 6,000 pounds, or that has a basic vehicle frontal area in excess of 45 square feet, (40 CFR 86.1803-01). Acronym: HDV
	Hydrocarbon	Definition: Chemical compounds that consist entirely of carbon and hydrogen. Acronym: HC
	Independent Commercial Importer	Definition: A commercial importer of non-conforming vehicles who is not an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and does not have a contractual agreement with an OEM to act as its authorized representative for the distribution of vehicles in the U.S. market. An ICI is considered to be a manufacturer when it modifies a nonconforming vehicle. Acronym: ICI
	Inspection/Maintenance	Acronym: I/M
	Internal Revenue Service	Acronym: IRS
	Kilowatt	Acronym: kW
	Light-duty Truck	Definition: Any motor vehicle rated at 8,500 pounds GVWR or less which has a vehicle curb weight of 6,000 pounds or less and which has a basic vehicle frontal area of 45 square feet or less, 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 (40 CFR 86.1803-01). Acronym: LDT
	Light-duty Vehicle	Definition: A passenger car or passenger car derivative capable of seating 12 passengers or less. (40 CFR 86.1803-01). [Note: The federal "light-duty vehicle" definition is essentially identical to the California definition for "passenger car".] Acronym: LDV
	Liquefied Petroleum Gas	Acronym: LPG
	Medium-duty Passenger Vehicle	Acronym: MDPV
	Mini-truck	Definition: Mini-trucks are small trucks or vans, with an engine displacement below 1000 cubic centimeters and a maximum engine power of 25 - 45 Hp with a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour or less.
	Mining Safety and Health Administration	Acronym: MSHA
	Model Year	Definition: The vehicle manufacturer's annual production period (e.g., vehicles manufactured in January 1994 are considered to be part of the 1994 model year). If the manufacturer has no annual production period (e.g., the model year is not explicitly specified by the manufacturer for many vehicles manufactured for sale in foreign countries), the model year is considered to be the calendar year in which a vehicle is manufactured. For a vehicle modified by an ICI, the ICI's model year is the calendar year in which it modifies the vehicle.
	Nitrogen Oxides	Definition: Nitrogen oxides are the product of combustion from transportation and stationary sources and a major contributor to the formation of ozone in the troposphere and to acid deposition. Acronym: NOx
	Non-conforming Vehicle	Definition: A vehicle that is not covered by a Certificate of Conformity prior to importation into the U.S. (either a final or conditional importation) and which has not been finally admitted into the United States by EPA. Vehicles claimed to be U.S. Certified vehicles but driven overseas are generally presumed to be nonconforming until proven otherwise, including demonstration of the presence and proper functioning of all emission related components.
	Non U.S. Version Vehicle	Definition: A vehicle that is not certified and labeled by the U.S. EPA as meeting U.S. emission standards.
	Nonroad Engine	Definition: An internal combustion engine (including the fuel system) that is: 1) used in a nonroad vehicle, 2) installed in or on equipment that is self propelled and/or performs another function while propelling itself (e.g., lawnmower), or 3) portable or not at the same location for more than 12 consecutive months (e.g., generators). Nonroad engines do not include those used in a motor vehicle, or a vehicle used solely for competition, or that is subject to standards promulgated under Section 111 (New Source Performance Standards) or Section 202 of the Clean Air Act (40 CFR 89.2).
	Nonroad Vehicle	Definition: A vehicle that is not capable of being safely and practically driven on public roads or highways, including both offroad/recreational vehicles (such as dirt bikes, ATVs, ORUVs and snowmobiles) and other vehicles with features including, but not limited to, tracked road contact means, inordinate size, or features ordinarily associated with military combat or tactical vehicles such as armor and/or weaponry. EPA regards vehicles that exceed any of the federal weight or dimensional limitations placed on vehicles using the Interstate Highway System to be of an inordinate size.
	Offroad Vehicle	Definition: See nonroad vehicle.
	Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery	Acronym: ORVR
	Original Equipment Manufacturer	Definition: The manufacturer that originally produced the vehicle or heavy-duty engine (e.g., Ford, Mercedes Benz, etc.) Acronym: OEM
	Original Production	Acronym: OP
	Original Production Years Old	Definition: A vehicle's age, determined by subtracting the calendar year in which it was originally manufactured from the calendar year of importation (e.g., a vehicle built by a European manufacturer in 2002 and imported into the U.S. in 2004 would be two original production years old). Acronym: OP Years Old
	Oxygen Sensor	Definition: A sensor in the engine exhaust system that measures the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas.
	Port of Entry	Definition: The port where a vehicle or engine enters the United States.
	Racing Vehicle	Definition: A vehicle that has, in general, been extensively modified for racing, and is incapable of safe and practical street or highway use because it lacks features associated with this type of use.
	Revolution Per Minute	Acronym: RPM
	Spark Ignition	Acronym: SI
	United States Code	Acronym: U.S.C.
	United States Environmental Protection Agency	Acronym: EPA
	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Definition: Customs and Border Protection is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that is responsible for regulating imports of engines and vehicles. For further information, see http://www.cbp.gov/. Acronym: CBP
	Useful Life	Definition: The period of time during which an emission standard applies to vehicles or engines. For light-duty vehicles, and for light-duty trucks not subject to the Tier 0 standards built since 1994 model year, the useful life is 10 years or 100,000 miles whichever occurs first. For light-duty trucks subject to the Tier 0 standard is 11 years or 120,000 miles whichever occurs first. Heavy-duty motor vehicle engines and nonroad engines have varying periods of useful life as defined by EPA regulations.
	Vacuum Hoses	Definition: Vacuum hoses provide intake manifold pressure (vacuum) to systems on the engine and the vehicle. They can be critical to maintaining the proper air/fuel ratio, or pulling Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) into the intake manifold. They can also used to provide power to other vehicle systems including; cruise control, EGR, transmission shift solenoids, brake assist, etc. Vacuum hoses are part of the emission control system.
	Vehicle	Definition: As used in this manual, "vehicle" is used as a convenient abbreviation for the collection of all categories of motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines. Specifically, it includes cars, motorcycles, light-duty trucks, heavy-duty vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and heavy-duty engines.
	Vehicle Emissions Label	Definition: The EPA vehicle emissions label is entitled "Vehicle Emission Control Information", and will contain the name and trademark of the manufacturer and an unconditional statement of compliance with EPA emission regulations.
	Vehicle Identification Number	Acronym: VIN

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