Gearing up for new emission standards
One year after new emission standards for diesel engines took effect, the managers of city and county fleets are gearing up for the implementation of even stricter regulations. Starting on Oct. 1, 2002, the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required that all new heavy-duty diesel engines emit no more than 0.10 grams per brake horsepower hour (g/bhp-hr) of particulate matter (PM), 2.0 g/bhp-hr oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and between 0.4 and 0.5 g/bhp-hr of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC). The NOx and NMHC measurements typically are combined for testing at 2.5 g/bhp-hr. In 2004, the rules will be expanded to include medium- and light-duty diesel truck engines.
It is too soon to examine the full impact of the October 2002 regulations on fleet operations. However, a May 2003 informal survey of truck carriers and leasing companies by Fleet Owner magazine, a sister publication of American City & County, reported no major problems with the new engines. Industry experts estimate that the low-emission engines cost between $3,000 to $5,000 more than their predecessors and reduce fuel efficiency on average between 2 to 4 percent.
Compared with their predecessors, they also feature an increased heat output and place greater stress on cooling systems. EPA has estimated that the engines will increase a truck’s life-cycle costs by $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the application.
By 2007, emission standards for new diesel engines will become even stricter and, according to industry experts, could increase the costs of trucks by as much as $10,000 from their current prices. PM emission levels will decrease to 0.01 g/bhp-hr, NOx to 0.2 g/bhp-hr and NMHC to 0.14 g/bhp-hr. The PM requirement will be implemented fully in 2007, while the NOx and NMHC requirements will be phased in between 2007 and 2010. As a result of the new standards, diesel engines in 2010 will produce 10 percent of the emissions of 2001 models.
To aid in the emission reduction, EPA is requiring that fuel with a sulfur content of 15 parts per million (ppm) be available by June 1, 2006. At that point, only pre-model year 2007 trucks may use the current grade of diesel, which contains a sulfur content measuring 500 ppm and will be available only in limited quantities until 2010. EPA estimates that using the more expensive low-sulfur fuel will cost a fleet between $450 to $500 more per year, per truck.
As local government fleets face the upcoming regulations, managers may choose the route that some took before the October 2002 regulations took effect: buying used vehicles to avoid the expense of the new engines. However, managers who choose to do so must make sure that their vehicle maintenance programs are rigorous enough to keep a fleet of much older trucks on the road.
Stephen Ursery. Sean Kilcarr, senior editor for Fleet Owner magazine, and Bob Deierlein, a White Plains, N.Y.-based freelance writer, also contributed to the article.
