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Energy Bill Reinforces Critical Role of Clean Diesel to U.S. Energy Policy

WASHINGTON, DC - Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, issued the following statement today as President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (HR 6):

By requiring a 40 percent increase in fuel economy and 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from new automobiles, today’s signing of HR. 6 will transform the technologies and fuels used to power our vehicles in the years to come. Clean diesel is one such alternative energy that will play an increasing role in the future.

Diesel is an energy-dense fuel compared to gasoline – delivering both more miles per gallon (20-40 percent more) and lower emissions of greenhouse gases (10-20 percent less). Automotive forecasters at JD Power & Associates and the U.S. Department of Energy predict that clean diesel cars could account for 10-15 percent of all new vehicle sales by 2015, up from just over 3 percent today.

This anticipated expansion of clean diesel cars and light trucks in the U.S. is driven by many factors, most notably the arrival of diesel engines held to the same emissions standards as gasoline-engines. A new generation of ultra low sulfur clean diesel fuel that began flowing October 2006 now enables manufacturers to meet this challenge, and nearly a dozen automakers have announced plans to sell clean diesel versions of popular cars, pickups and SUVs in the U.S. by the end of this decade. Another major selling point for clean diesel is the well established fueling infrastructure already in place, with 42 percent of all stations in the country today selling diesel.

This new energy legislation also calls for a greater use of renewable transportation fuels such as biodiesel. Diesel engines have always been “flexible fueled”, with many years of proven experience using biodiesel blends in many different types of vehicles. The next generation of renewable diesel fuels offers additional benefits that only enhance the energy savings and environmental benefits of clean diesel.

Beyond the requirements for increased fuel economy in passenger vehicles, this legislation also will address fuel efficiency in commercial heavy-duty diesel trucks. Heavy-duty diesel engine and truck makers have made historic accomplishments in reducing emissions from diesel engines in recent years without sacrificing fuel efficiency or performance. Today’s new heavy-duty engine is 98 percent lower in emissions of particulates and about 50 percent lower in emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), with even further reductions in NOx emissions coming in 2010.

Heavy-duty engine and truck makers are naturally driven to produce more fuel efficient trucks by customers in the marketplace. The very nature of commercial trucking places the highest value on fuel efficiency, since fuel costs are a significant portion of the overall operating expenses of a trucking company. The fact that engine and truck manufacturers have been able to maintain and improve fuel efficiency while meeting increasingly stringent clean air standards is no small accomplishment since measures to reduce emissions often reduce fuel economy.

See the clean diesel vehicles currently available in the U.S. as well as those coming soon.

The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the economic importance and environmental progress of diesel engines and equipment. Forum members represent the three parts of the modern clean diesel system: advanced engines, cleaner diesel fuel and effective emissions control systems.