Ricardo, a U.K. company known for various vehicle drivetrain technologies, announced yesterday it was working on advanced research into diesel technology capable of achieving U.S. Super Ultra-Low Emission (SULEV) and Tier II Bin 2 requirements. The global manufacturer that Ricardo is working with went unnamed. Ricardo says it wants to "remove the diesel combustion engine from the environmental debate on regulated emissions -- allowing advanced diesel engines to take their place alongside gasoline hybrid and fuel cell powered vehicles in the future of environmentally friendly automotive products". Since Tier II Bin 2 requires emissions roughly a sixth those of the already stringent Euro 5, getting these diesel engines on the road will make quite a difference to the environment. Ricardo says it is using "advanced air handling systems, two-stage boosting, advanced exhaust gas recirculation and application of closed-loop cylinder pressure-based engine controls" to reduce emissions.

[Source: Ricardo]