Skip to main content

New clean diesel cars and light trucks to ‘help US achieve greenhouse gas reductions’

Advances in emissions control technology in clean diesel passenger cars and light duty pickup trucks will have a positive effect on efforts to reduce future Greenhouse Gas Emissions, according to the federal government’s newly-released Draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR). The Draft TAR, which covers vehicle model years 2022-2025, confirms that automotive manufacturers are introducing new technology to market at a rapid pace, and predicts that the MY 2022-2025 standards are achievable with a wide ran
July 25, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Advances in emissions control technology in clean diesel passenger cars and light duty pickup trucks will have a positive effect on efforts to reduce future Greenhouse Gas Emissions, according to the federal government’s newly-released Draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR).
 
The Draft TAR, which covers vehicle model years 2022-2025, confirms that automotive manufacturers are introducing new technology to market at a rapid pace, and predicts that the MY 2022-2025 standards are achievable with a wide range of technologies.

According to a mid-term evaluation by the 324 US Department of Transportation (DOT), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the California Air Resource Board (CARB), despite recent EPA and California ARB compliance actions with respect to light-duty diesel NOx emissions, diesel engines remain a technology for the reduction of GHG emissions from light-duty vehicles. Advances in NOx and PM emissions control technology are bringing light duty diesels fully into compliance with Federal Tier 3 and California LEV III emissions standards at a cost that is competitive with the cost-effectiveness of other high efficiency, advanced engine technologies.
 
The Draft TAR states that diesel engines are continuing to evolve using technologies similar to those being introduced in new light-duty gasoline engines and heavy-duty diesel truck engines, including the use of advanced friction reduction measures, increased turbocharger boosting and engine downsizing and the improved integration of exhaust emissions control systems for criteria pollutant control, among others.
 
According to the Draft TAR, the best Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) - a measure of energy efficiency - of advanced diesel engines under development for light duty applications is now 46 percent and thus is approaching that of heavy-duty diesel truck engines.  In contrast, gasoline engines today achieve around 37 per cent.
 
The draft report also summarises the results of commissioned research surveying auto reviews of advanced fuel economy technologies.  Three-out-of-four auto writers and auto analysts report a favourable rating for diesel technology concerning consumer acceptance, which was among the highest rated powertrains.

Related Content

  • Carbon finance delivers critical support to mass transit schemes
    February 2, 2012
    David Crawford investigates carbon finance in transport. World Bank carbon finance grants are delivering critical support to major mass transit deployments in emerging and developing economies. Only recently operative in the transport sector, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM, see panel) is designed to generate additional income streams and improve internal rates of return on projects funded from public- and private-sector sources.
  • Survey finds varied autonomy and safety technology preferences for new vehicles
    August 4, 2017
    New research on consumer preferences for full autonomy in new vehicles finds the technology is not yet popular among a broad audience, according to analysts at IHS Markit. Ironically, the same audience ranked it among the very features they would be willing to pay the most for in their next new vehicle purchase. Blind spot detection ranked highest as the most desired features among all audiences, young and old, and propensity to pay for it varied by region, with the US respondents reporting they would be wi
  • Johnson Controls says US consumers are interested in start-stop systems
    May 18, 2012
    New consumer research conducted by Johnson Controls claims that 97 per cent of Americans are ready for new start-stop technology that improves the fuel economy of their vehicle. The research was conducted to gain understanding of how consumers view fuel-saving power train technologies based on attributes such as purchase price, fuel economy, annual fuel cost and performance. Focus groups across US major metropolitan areas, along with 1,200 survey respondents, provided feedback on efficient vehicle technolog
  • Report identifies opportunities for road freight carbon and cost reduction
    December 4, 2012
    Switching from diesel to gas, reducing rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag and introducing more hybrid and electric vehicles are identified as key opportunities for further cutting carbon and improving efficiency in the road freight sector, according to a new report commissioned by the Transport Knowledge Transfer Network (TKTN) and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP). The report, written by Ricardo-AEA for the project partners, focuses on the key technical opportunities, and identifies options