New Diesel Truck and Bus Engines Cleaner Than Expected

18 June, 2009 12:03:00

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A new study released today by the Coordinating Research Council in cooperation with the Health Effects Institute highlights the robust emissions performance of the new generation of clean diesel technology manufactured starting in 2007.

The study found a more than 90 percent reduction in most emissions as compared to previous 2004 models, and the reductions “exceeded substantially even those levels required by law.”

The study, phase 1 of the Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES), is a multi-party five year study to test the emissions and health effects of the new technology diesel engines to document the improvements that have been made and to ensure that there are no unintended emissions from this new technology.

“Ultimately these findings translate into even greater clean air benefits for local communities than were previously expected. More than 360,000 of these heavy duty trucks and buses were sold in 2007 and 2008. Not only are these vehicles very low in emissions, but they must meet these near-zero clean air standards for almost 4 times as long (435,000 miles) as passenger cars. Today’s diesel trucks and buses are so clean it would take 60 of today’s models to have the same soot emissions as one 1988 model,” said Schaeffer.

While this study is limited to highway diesel engines like those used in commercial trucks and buses, virtually the same requirements (cleaner diesel fuel and progressively lower emissions standards) are being phased in for all non-road engines and equipment used in construction, agriculture, mining and other industries as well over the next 5 years.

“Getting to these near-zero levels of emissions is a result of the highly integrated clean diesel system; cleaner ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, advanced engine technologies and emissions control systems,” explained Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

“Meeting the 2007 standards was a major milestone in clean diesel technology, but we’re not done yet. In just about 6 months, new 2010 engines will build on these results and slash oxides of nitrogen emissions by another 50 percent.”

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