Skip to main content

New clean diesel technology improving air quality and fuel efficiency, research finds

The introduction of more advanced diesel truck engines, innovative emissions control systems, and cleaner diesel fuel over the past decade have successfully resulted in major improvements in air quality and fuel efficiency, according to new research compiled by The Martec Group, a global technical marketing research firm, for the Diesel Technology Forum. The four million cleaner heavy-duty diesels introduced from 2007 through 2015 have saved US consumers: 29 million tonnes of C02; 7.5 million tonnes o
July 29, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The introduction of more advanced diesel truck engines, innovative emissions control systems, and cleaner diesel fuel over the past decade have successfully resulted in major improvements in air quality and fuel efficiency, according to new research compiled by The Martec Group, a global technical marketing research firm, for the Diesel Technology Forum.
 
The four million cleaner heavy-duty diesels introduced from 2007 through 2015 have saved US consumers:  29 million tonnes of C02; 7.5 million tonnes of NOx; 218,000 tonnes of Particulate Matter (PM); 2.9 billion gallons of diesel; 69 million barrels of crude oil.
 
According to Allan Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, the findings show that the new generation of clean diesel technology is delivering large and expanding benefits to society in the form of fewer emissions and lower fuel consumption.  The reductions from the 2007 and newer trucks on the road today are equivalent to removing the CO2 emissions from 6.1 million light-duty cars from the road for one year, removing the NOx emissions from all light-duty cars for two years, and removing the particulate matter from all light-duty cars for six years.
 
Schaeffer said 42 per cent of all medium and heavy-duty diesel commercial trucks (Classes 3-8) in operation in the United States, four million of 9.5 million diesel trucks, were now equipped with newer technology clean diesel engines; up from 38 percent last year.  For Class 8 trucks running the newest generation (2010 and newer) engines, the new technology saved truckers US$2,400 a year in fuel costs by using 875 fewer gallons of fuel (based on 125,000 miles travelled).
 
“As the world’s attention is now focused on meeting future international climate commitments, it is important to recognize the fuels and technologies that are delivering proven benefits here and now in communities all across America, because technologies like clean diesel will also be vital to achieving those future goals as well,” Schaeffer said.

Related Content

  • Growth of outsourcing simplifies transportation operations
    June 11, 2012
    Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns will deliver the keynote address at the opening plenary of ITS America’s 2012 Annual Meeting in May. She talked to ITS International about the acquisition of ACS, its rebranding and the importance of the transportation sector to Xerox
  • Intelligent intersection control
    April 12, 2013
    Intelligent intersection control systems have a growing role to play in making urban traffic more efficient. Robin Meczes reports. The idea of every traffic light turning green as you approach it has long been a dream for many an urban driver – and none more so than those driving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), which are slow and difficult to bring to a halt and then accelerate back to normal travel speed. But that dream has become a reality for some drivers in a small number of cities around Europe in the las
  • Dutch survey shows drivers are in favour of road user charging
    January 16, 2012
    'Keep it simple, stupid' is an oft-forgotten axiom but in terms of road user charging it is entirely appropriate. So says the ANWB's Ferry Smith. A couple of decades ago, it might have been largely true that the technology aspects of advanced road infrastructure were the main obstacles to deployment. However, 20 years or more of development have led to a situation where such 'obstacles' are often no more than a political fig-leaf. Area-wide Road User Charging (RUC) is a case in point; speak candidly to syst
  • Pony.ai & Sany go AV trucking
    August 19, 2022
    Joint venture will see companies develop Level 4 autonomous truck for mass production