Off-road low-sulfur diesel starts production today, on sale Dec. 1
Today marks the beginning of Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel fuel production for off-road use. By December 1, it will available everywhere for fueling road construction, marine, agricultural and mining equipment. The nation's refineries are now producing the diesel, which has 85 percent less sulfur, decreasing its content from 3,000 to 500 parts per million. In the next three years, sulfur content will decrease to a mere 15 parts per million. The diesel engine truly is the "workhorse of the American economy" because of its durability, power, efficiency, and safety. Interestingly, nearly 100 percent of all road construction equipment runs on diesel. This will then dramatically reduce industrial equipment and vehicle emissions.
Clean diesel has been available for highway use since last year, and has dramatically reduced the emissions of existing diesel engines. In addition, new technologies like BlueMotion reduce it even more. Diesel is well on its way to becoming the most popular alternative fuel. How long it keeps its lead, though, is anyone's guess.
[Source: Diesel Technology Forum]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
macmanic 11:32AM (6/01/2007)
The lack of consumer diesels in the US has always been credited with the auto industry's perception of the US public's distain for the need to have to often visit smelly, dirty truck-stop fuel centers, noisey, smoking engines, etc...
However, I wonder if there has been a more nefarious collusion of sorts between the US commercial trucking industry, the auto makers, and the big oil companies to ensure that US auto buyers continue to shun diesels.
I offer this theory because if diesel powered autos were to catch on in the US this would mean less and more expensive diesel fuel available for commercial trucks, fewer cars to sell over the long term (most diesels engines can be expected to run 200k+ miles) and a necessity for big oil to move more refining capacity to the cheaper to produce diesel fuel.
At this point I can see no other reasons for the universal foot dragging by the auto industry over the introduction of small diesels in the US. Europe has had diesels for decades - why not the US?
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Ron Fischer 2:17PM (6/01/2007)
ABG, please don't be part of the push to change the definition of "alternative fuel" to include petroleum-based diesel. Its a bit more efficient and can be clean with the right emissions controls, but its no revolution... no real alternative. Diesel should be accepted it for what it is: a good, incremental step in the right direction IF it has appropriate emissions controls.
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Karkus 2:47PM (6/01/2007)
It's about time they started cleaning up the offroad diesel. That will help change the attitude about diesels and help them gain acceptance here.
#1, I don't buy the conspiracy theory... the reason diesel hasn't caught on is because CA started regulating smog forming emissions (for good reason), and the rest of the country eventually followed their lead. The high sulfur diesel was the other part of the problem (since it didn't allow good emissions control technologies until they cleaned it up last year).
And for anyone that says Europeans have it great with all their diesels, just go take a tour of some cities over there, try to breathe the air, and look at the soot coated buildings (they have to clean them periodically). I grew up over there.
The main difference in CO2 emissions between US and Europe isn't gas vs. diesel. It's the small car vs. SUV culture difference.
#2 - I totally agree -diesel is NOT an alternative fuel. Sure, the MPG is better, but when you look at CO2 emissions, the difference shrinks (since it corrects for the higher diesel density). Plus, gas engine advances like direct injection technology keep narrowing the diesel/gas gap even further.
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