Transportation and Air Quality

About EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality

• Office Description and Organization
• National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory
• Federal Register Notices
• Press Releases
• Grants & Funding
• Employment Opportunities

More About NVFEL

The Laboratory was established in 1971, shortly after the creation of EPA.  It is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, near the headquarters of domestic automobile manufacturers to facilitate transfer of test vehicles back and forth.

There are about 400 employees at NVFEL.  Staff expertise spans a variety of technical and public policy fields including auto mechanics, engineering, chemistry, economics, natural resources management, and law.

The NVFEL lab provides the Office of Transportation and Air Quality with emission testing services for motor vehicle, heavy-duty engine, and nonroad engine programs in support of rulemakings, enforcement actions, and procedures development.

In addition, the lab assists in the development of automotive technology to reduce conventional pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Clean Automotive Technology initiative, low NOx diesel engine, and alternative fuel technologies.

The responsibilities at NVFEL include:

• Developing national regulatory programs to reduce mobile source related air pollution from light-duty cars and trucks, heavy-duty trucks and buses, nonroad engines and vehicles, and their fuels.
• Evaluating emission control technology.
• Providing state and local air quality regulators and transportation planners with access to critical information on transportation programs and incentive-based programs.
• Testing vehicles, engines and fuels.
• Determining compliance with federal emissions and fuel economy standards.

2565 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 214-4200

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) is part of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) which is responsible for carrying out laws to control air pollution from motor vehicles, engines, and their fuels.  OTAQ's mission is to reconcile the transportation sector with the environment by advancing clean fuels and technology, and promoting more livable communities. OTAQ is divided between EPA's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and NVFEL in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

General Information

• National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (PDF) (3 pp, 67K, EPA420-F-04-058,  December 2004) This fact sheet is a print version of this Web page.
• NVFEL Library Information
• NVFEL Energy Savings Performance Contract
• NVFEL tests and certifies fuel cell vehicle:
  • Press Release (February 11, 2003)
  • EPA Fuel Cell Vehicle Testing (PDF) (4 pp, 15K, EPA420-F-02-055, February 2003)
• Office of Transportation and Air Quality (PDF) (4 pp, 99K, EPA420-F-05-054, November 2005) This fact sheet provides an overview of the office, its programs and organization.
• OTAQ Organization Chart (PDF)
• "Toward a Cleaner Future: Office of Transportation and Air Quality Progress Report 2005" (EPA420-R-05-011, November 2005)
  • Executive Summary (PDF) (5 pp, 363K)
  • Full Report (PDF) (36 pp, 1.8MB)

Doing Work with NVFEL

Acquisition information:

• Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Items (PDF) (5 pp, 95K, FAR 52.212-1, January 2006)
• Evaluation—Commercial Items (PDF) (1 pg, 88K, FAR 52.212-2, January 1999)
• Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items (PDF) (8 pp, 181K, FAR 52.212-3, March 2005)
• Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items (PDF) (6 pp, 98K, FAR 52.212-4, September 2005)
• Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Items (PDF) (5 pp, 70K, FAR 52.212-5, February 2006)
• Terms and Conditions - Simplified Acquisitions (Other Than Commercial Items) (PDF) (4 pp, 91K, FAR 52.213-4, February 2006)