Engineers Mull Various Technologies OEMs Will Use to Meet 2014, 2017 Fuel Standards
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TAMPA, Fla. — Engineers for truck makers said they are comfortable with their approaches to meet 2014 and 2017 federal greenhouse-gas and fuel-mileage standards for heavy- and medium-duty trucks.
Speaking at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting here, the engineers said the rule from the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration obligates them to document mileage claims with a lot of detailed testing, but manufacturers can also use EPA’s system of averaged, banked and traded credits to comply, if necessary.
“Using EPA modeling, we’ll get the carbon dioxide reduction through better miles per gallon, and the burden of compliance will be on OEMs, not truck buyers,” said Al Pearson, a Daimler Trucks North America engineer.
The standards, announced in August, will save 530 million barrels of oil and 270 million metric tons of emissions over five years, the government estimates.
Specifics differ based on type of vehicle, but EPA estimates the reduction in greenhouse gases range between 10% for low- and mid-roof tractors to 23% for a high-roof Class 8 sleeper.
The history of the standards date back to 1976, when manufacturers introduced “the first rudimentary engine controls,” Dave McKenna of Mack Trucks said.
From that starting point, technology progressed through engine-control modules, automated manual transmissions, variable-geometry turbochargers and smart fans that run only when needed rather than constantly.
McKenna said the hunt for more miles per gallon is focused on “infinitesimal improvements. There won’t be any single change on the order of 3% or 4%,” he said, meaning the strategy is to bundle together different improvements that are less than 1% each.
While the 2014 standards will likely be met with existing technology, McKenna said technology for the 2017 standards could include horsepower that varies with geography. For example, horsepower may be less in the Midwest but more in the Rockies, making use of waste heat and perhaps even a return to two-stroke engines from the current four strokes.
Chuck Blake of Detroit Diesel Corp., a division of DTNA, also mentioned the possibility of two-stroke return and the process of vehicle testing, which has to account for variations such as cylindrical versus D-shaped fuel tanks.
The federal rule addresses mileage and CO2 per ton-mile, an important consideration for moving freight.
“We understand that one large tractor with a lot more mass is a better way to move freight than 25 pickup trucks,” said EPA’s Byron Bunker. The rules also account for varying applications by setting standards for Class 7 and 8 tractors, sleepers and day cabs and three types of roof heights for tractors. However, each of those combinations must be tested.
Jerry Thrift, a recent chairman of TMC and the senior manager for new product development at Ryder System, said he was concerned the regulations could lead to fewer options.
“Even OEMs have limited resources, and I think all of the testing will drive them to offering fewer options,” he said. “There are a myriad of customer applications to satisfy, and this means there will be fewer pegs to use relative to the holes that need to be filled.”
The other two major truck corporations are Paccar Inc., owner of Kenworth Trucks and Peterbilt Motors, and Navistar International Corp., but they were not represented on the TMC panel. Volvo Trucks is a sister company to Mack Trucks within Volvo Group.
Separately, DTNA announced Feb. 23 that EPA has certified its complete portfolio of model-year 2013 trucks as meeting the initial 2014 standard.
“DTNA is committed to working with EPA and NHTSA to address critical issues facing the United States, such as greenhouse-gas reduction, as well as dependence on foreign oil,” DTNA CEO Martin Daum said. “Early compliance with GHG14 regulations is clear evidence of DTNA’s strategic plan to demonstrate leadership in fuel efficiency and reduced emissions well in advance of any regulatory deadlines.”
DTNA makes Freightliner and Western Star Trucks as well as Detroit Diesel engines.
