DDC Asks EPA Approval for Its 2010 SCR Engines
This story appears in the Oct. 5 print edition of Transport Topics.
Detroit Diesel Corp. completed its filing with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval of its 2010 truck engines, the third U.S. engine maker to do so, the company said Sept. 29, adding that it also filed with the California Air Resources Board.
DDC, a division of Daimler Trucks North America, joins Volvo AB’s two North American units — Volvo and Mack Trucks — as the original equipment manufacturers that so far have filed ahead of the Jan. 1 change, which tightens federal standards for nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines (click here for previous story).
Engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. and truck maker Navistar Inc., which also makes its own engines, said they were still working on their EPA submissions, but they expect to have their power plants certified before Jan. 1. Caterpillar Inc. is leaving the U.S. truck engine business as of Dec. 31, so it will not have to go through the process.
Paccar Inc., parent company of Kenworth Trucks and Peterbilt Motors, is entering the U.S. engine business with its Jan. 1 models that are adapted from its DAF Trucks European engines. A spokesman from Paccar said the company has no comment on the certification process at this time.
“The submission of our 2010 certification applications, based on successful completion of our emissions and onboard diagnostics certification testing, is a key program milestone for us,” said Rakesh Aneja, DDC’s 2010 program manager.
“After a decade of investment in both resources and funding to design, develop, integrate and test both engine and emissions control technologies, the early application for certification of our most popular engines brings tremendous satisfaction,” said David Siler, DDC’s director of marketing.
DDC filed applications for its DD15 and DD13 models. The company introduced the DD15 in October 2007 as the eventual replacement of its Series 60 engines — the company’s main heavy-duty platform since its introduction in 1987.
DDC, Volvo AB, Cummins and Paccar are all using selective catalytic reduction technology with urea-based diesel exhaust fluid to meet the Jan. 1 federal standard.
Navistar, maker of International brand trucks, is using the third generation in exhaust gas recirculation technology in its line of MaxxForce engines.
EPA has been tightening U.S. emission standards on NOx and particulate matter from diesel engines for much of this decade, most recently in January 2007 and before then in October 2002.
On Jan. 1, the federal NOx standard moves to 0.2 gram per brake horsepower-hour from 1.2 grams per unit of output.
The federal PM standard for 2010 is remaining at 0.01 g/bhp-hr, where it was set in 2007.
