For the first time, more than half of all diesel commercial vehicles on the road in the U.S. are advanced diesel technology models, according to the Diesel Technology Forum.
Based on IHS Markit data of vehicles in operation as of December 2021, a DTF-commissioned study found that the national average of the number of 2010 model year or later diesel trucks was 53% — up more than 4% over the previous year, Heavy Duty Trucking reports.
2010 and later trucks are equipped with advanced diesel engines that minimize the production of emissions through efficient combustion.
In previous research commissioned for DTF, AutoForecast Solutions found that increasing the numbers of advanced diesel technology trucks on the road will eliminate more than 1.3 billion tons of CO2 during this decade.
“This is great news for our environment and economy,” said DTF Executive Director Allen Schaeffer in a news release. “It shows that our nation’s truckers, and commercial fleet owners, are choosing advanced diesel technology, up 4.2% over the previous year. That’s because of its solid track record of performance, reliability, and durability. Advanced diesel technology trucks will continue to dominate the market for these reasons, and many more, for years to come.”
Schaeffer said he’s confident in diesel’s future dominance because those same advanced diesel engines, as well as older diesel engines, are capable of running on low-carbon renewable biofuels. Taken together, these elements make diesel technology part of the solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They lower GHG and other emissions 20-80% compared to conventional diesel fuel.
As Schaeffer recently testified to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the latest generation of advanced diesel technology has achieved more than 98% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Since 2011, this has translated into saving more than 20 billion gallons of fuel, along with associated emissions benefits (preventing 202 million metric tons of GHG emissions and 27 million metric tons of NOx emissions).
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