Challenges Increase for Diesel Vehicles
The second phase of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards are about to kick in. Model-year 2021 trucks will be the first vehicles covered by this phase and will need to meet new standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to improve fuel efficiency. The regulations create an entirely new set of challenges on medium-duty diesel vehicles — and more opportunity for propane bus sales.
According to an article in HDT, the regulation requires certification at a vehicle level as well as at the engine level. To meet Phase 2 regulations, manufacturers will need to integrate the right combination of technologies across the entire vehicle. By using the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model tool, manufacturers can simulate all the parameters of the powertrain to see which combinations will meet the regulations.
The GHG Phase 2 regulations contain specific standards for both the engine and the vehicle, and they are further divided into three application classes: tractors, vocational trucks, and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans (or medium-duty trucks.)
As you can see, things are getting more complex when dealing with diesel. Share the news with potential customers. Then stress the simplicity of the propane engine and how it does not need to meet any of these complicated regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Zic at Ryan.Zic@roush.com.
