Commentary: What Happens to SmartWay With EPA Under Fire?

Rolf Lockwood

Looks like SmartWay's days are numbered, if not those of the entire Environmental Protection Agency. These days Washington is being very unkind to anyone who believes that our shared environment matters, that our ecosystems need protection. Climate-change deniers are having a field day.

I'm no tree-hugger, and definitely no fan of the EPA, but it seems obvious to me that this is short-sighted idiocy that will cost money and jobs in the long run. Lots.

SmartWay was launched by the EPA in 2004. A voluntary government/industry partnership with fleet and vendor members, it aims to reduce the carbon footprint of trucking operations by accelerating the availability and adoption of fuel-saving technologies and practices. EPA says it has cut fuel costs by nearly $25 billion since it was formed.

Believe that figure if you like. The EPA's numbers have always been suspect in my view, but it doesn't much matter here. The fact is, fuel-saving technologies have been promoted and lots of people have benefited.

That said, I won't be especially sad if EPA budget cuts kill SmartWay. We have options. Like NACFE, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, and Canada's PIT Group, working in conjunction with the ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council.

The problem is, SmartWay approval became the de facto spec'ing standard for all manner of gizmology. The California Air Resources Board built requirements around SmartWay approved devices. Big shippers bought in, demanding that carriers spec only SmartWay-approved componentry. Blackmail pure and simple. I know one carrier that emblazoned its trucks with SmartWay decals that they printed themselves, simple fakery that got them in some shippers' doors.

But SmartWay has never had any testing capacity of its own, so when product X claims official approval, it does so on the basis of the maker's own testing to meet SmartWay-mandated levels of ...Read the rest of this story

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Prestolite’s Isolated Ground Technology Protects Engines from Stray Voltage

Prestolite Electric has announced its use of Isolated Ground Technology in its line of IdlePro and IdlePro Extreme alternators, designed to protect engines from potentially severe electrolytic damage caused by stray voltage.

Isolated Ground technology helps to prevent overall associated component failure and vehicle downtime, according to Prestolite. It includes a dedicated cable that directs the electric current from the battery to the alternator and a second dedicated electrical cable that directs the electric current from the alternator back to the battery.

“As original equipment manufacturers push to reduce stray electrical current or ground noise flowing through the engine to prevent premature engine failures and related component failures, this latest technology from Prestolite Electric ensures industry-best performance,” said Nick Laenen, vice president, North America, South America, Australia sales and marketing, Prestolite Electric. “Isolated Ground Technology maintains a closed loop of electric current, reducing both the alternator's electronic noise signature and preventing stray electrical currents grounding through the engine block or its related parts.”

Common alternator designs allow the case of the alternator to be part of the electrical circuit. When an alternator is anchored to the engine electric current can then travel through or along the engine, increasing the opportunity for engine electrolysis or electronic noise interfering with other electronic equipment on the engine or vehicle. In today's modern engines, the added electronic noise can trip ghost error codes – necessitating a service incident and diagnostic troubleshooting.

The Leece-Neville IdlePro and IdlePro Extreme high-efficiency/high-output alternators include Isolated Ground and an array of other exclusive technologies that help extend battery life and increase vehicle uptime by enhancing electrical system and engine performance. The company plans to add the feature to the Leece-Neville PowerPro and PowerPro Extreme series high-torque starters in the near future.

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