Emissions testing on 2007 model diesel engines for big trucks and buses shows them to be substantially cleaner than what is required by law, with even cleaner diesels coming by 2010.
“Diesel engines are the workhorses of the nation’s transportation infrastructure because they are fuel efficient, durable and reliable,” said Jed Mandel, President of the Engine Manufacturers Association. “We can now add near-zero emissions to the list of diesel’s positive attributes.”
While it’s been a good long while since I drove and worked on trucks, it’s my experience that they get between five and eight miles to the gallon. With that in mind and knowing my son, who hauls over=the-road in an ’08 Freightliner with an 8-94 Detroit, would be calling this afternoon I waited to comment…
As I suspected, his truck gets between five point eight and seven point two miles per gallon. While they are indeed durable and reliable, I worked on a Cummins in ’78 the had a million miles on it, and the technology is definitely there to approach zero-emissions, the technology is in proper maintenance and more highly refined fuels, not any “new” design or manufacturing process. Mandel’s statement is accurate, but only in the sense they’ve always been durable, reliable and, properly maintained and operated, approach zero-emission.
Don’t confuse the city buses – rarely properly maintained or operated – with heavy-haulers, nothing’s changed all that much since I drove log trucks in the seventies and eighties.
Mr. Ten Bears – you are incorrect. Technology has been added (significantly) to get the engines to near zero emissions levels. And the biggest change to the fuel is the near complete removal of sulfur – which damages the after-treatment systems. I’m not sure what you mean by “more highly refined fuels”.