The Latest Fuel-Sipping Engines
Fleets expecting better fuel economy and reliability have a lot to look forward to if the engine makers’ claims are accurate. Photo: Jim Park
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Fleets expecting better fuel economy and reliability have a lot to look forward to if the engine makers’ claims are accurate. Photo: Jim Park
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There’s a new crop of engines on the street now that’s cleaner, more fuel efficient and hopefully more reliable than previous models. Most North American heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturers rolled out substantially revamped engines last year to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GHG17 emissions regulations. Those rules were the final step for diesel engines in Phase 1 of the EPA’s grand CO2 reduction plan. Engine makers now have a few years to figure how to meet the next, more restrictive round of fuel efficiency improvements, which come into force for model-year 2021 engines.
According to DieselNet, an independent online information service covering technical and business information on diesel engines, model-year 2017 heavy-duty diesels have CO2 emissions limits of 460 grams/bhp-hr, which translates into a fuel consumption limit of 4.52 gallons/100 bhp-hr. While that won’t mean much to most of us, it forces truck makers to up their game by 7% to 20% compared to MY 2010 trucks — with engines contributing a sizable chunk of those reductions. And, by popular demand, engine makers had to step up the reliability quotient, too.
To meet those goals, engine makers deployed combinations of more advanced electronic controls and mechanical changes to their engine, which in several instances included new injection systems, new piston designs, variable speed accessory drives, low-friction components, lighter lubes, higher compression ratios and new aftertreatment systems. Benefits to the truck owner include in some instances lighter engines, more torque at lower rpm, less horsepower at higher rpm, better drivability and of course reduced fuel consumption.
It’s still a bit early to make a pronouncement on the reliability question, but each of the engine makers’ reps we spoke with emphasized …Read the rest of this story
