Happy 10th Birthday, Diesel Particulate Filters
For 10 years, diesels lovers have had a reason to celebrate their engines a little bit more than before: filters that reduce pollution. Called Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), the devices were first introduced by Peugeot at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 1999. The lucky vehicle was a Peugeot 607. As you might know, DPFs come in two versions. Some of them, like the ones used by PSA, need a special additive, called Eolys. Others, like the ones used at Toyota, store the pollutants in a chamber and burns them when necessary. Peugeot has sold 2.1 million cars with PDFs, 233,000 of them in Germany.
[Source: Auto News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
wincros 11:21AM (11/11/2009)
Interesting to see Toyota pop up in that article instead of VW which has the same system of periodic burning of the particulates. In addition, one of the usual explanations for no Japanese diesels in the US is the additional development cost to meet US requirements, but apparently they are most of the way there, if not all the way there, already. Apparently VW sell all the TDIs they can make. So lack of a market is not a believable explanation. The speculation that they don't want to hurt hybrid sales does not make much sense either. I think the people who buy hybrids are completely separate from people who would buy diesel. Nissan and Subaru do not have any serious commitment to hybrids. So why no diesels from them. It is all very puzzling.
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Joeviocoe 12:00PM (11/11/2009)
"I think the people who buy hybrids are completely separate from people who would buy diesel" -wincros
Not necessarily true. When I was in the market for a car and anticipating that fuel cost would spike. I just went to fueleconomy.gov and looked at all the cars above 40 mpg.
Two types came up.
The VW TDIs and the Toyota and Honda hybrids. The only reason I chose diesel over hybrid was the fact that I could get an older used TDI for a low cost. Then, when I bought it, I was given so many other reasons why I chose correctly. Loving torque! Tuning for speed, enjoyment of ride. Ability to use Biodiesel (in Florida, E85 was rare).
Joeviocoe 12:02PM (11/11/2009)
"I think the people who buy hybrids are completely separate from people who would buy diesel" -wincros
Not necessarily true. When I was in the market for a car and anticipating that fuel cost would spike. I just went to fueleconomy.gov and looked at all the cars above 40 mpg.
Two types came up.
The VW TDIs and the Toyota and Honda hybrids. The only reason I chose diesel over hybrid was the fact that I could get an older used TDI for a low cost. Then, when I bought it, I was given so many other reasons why I chose correctly. Loving torque! Tuning for speed, enjoyment of ride. Ability to use Biodiesel (in Florida, E85 was rare).
Swede 12:35PM (11/11/2009)
Indeed it is strange that Toyota crops up in a article on diesels, I blame AB's US-tricity for that. While Toyota have nice diesels, that is a very recent development only a year or so old.
It should also be noted that PSA no longer use their old filters, and that it's really not relevant to refer to car makers anyway, they simply buy the filters from BOSCH and a few other suppliers. Everyone uses the regenerative filter now.
randomdude 4:05PM (11/11/2009)
1. The DPF is older (1985).
2. The first vehicle equipped with a DPF was a Mercedes (W126).
In other words: it's only 10 years DPF at Peugeot.
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