DRIVING AMERICANS TO CHANGE – SCR SAVES FUEL & THE ENVIRONMENT
JUNE 4, 2008 - Dependency on foreign oil continues to impact gasoline prices, forcing American consumers away from light trucks and S.U.Vs. This change in consumer behavior is having a dramatic effect on US automakers, causing car manufacturers to increase production of more fuel-efficient car and truck models, including many that will offer clean diesel Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) engine technology.
The shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles forced structural change upon America’s top two automakers: GM and Ford Motor Company. On Tuesday, GM slashed the production of trucks and big S.U.Vs at four North American assembly plants and announced plans to shut down 4 plants by or before 2010.
The high cost of gas is causing Americans to drive less. According to recent EPA data, Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles on U.S. highways and byways in March than they did a year earlier, the sharpest drop since the numbers were tabulated.
As a solution many drivers and automakers are looking at new diesel-powered cars to achieve greater efficiency. Driving a diesel car enables drivers to get up to 40 percent more miles per gallon. Interestingly, these diesels are also good for the environment, putting out 22 percent less carbon dioxide than a comparable gasoline car.
In heavy duty trucks, the clean diesel solution that has been proven in Europe will be offered by the industry’s leading manufacturers in 2010. This technology, called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), promises near-zero levels of emissions while providing a 3-5 percent fuel advantage per truck per year. This equates to $3,000 in fuel savings per truck per year (using today’s fuel prices) as well as the elimination of 71+ tons of CO2 over the lifetime of each truck.
The value of this remarkable technology is slowly spreading across North America.
SCR is a technology that injects Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), an automotive grade urea and liquid-reductant agent, through a catalyst into the exhaust stream of a diesel engine. The DEF sets off a chemical reaction that converts nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water, which are harmless and simply expelled through the vehicle tailpipe.
As an aftertreatment technology, SCR also allows engines to provide better performance so that drivers can drive with all the power they need and have come to expect.
In a changing economy and with its environmental advantages, SCR makes sense.
SCR meets and, in cases, exceeds standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in passenger cars as well as light and heavy-duty trucks, and it is one of the most cost-efficient and fuel-efficient technologies available to increase mileage while help to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
While SCR systems have become the technology of choice for many across Europe, it is still fairly new to the North American automotive and trucking industry. If you have any questions or comments about SCR, contact me at mmurray@quixotegroup.com. Coming soon, please visit www.factsaboutscr.com for more news of upcoming events and reports on SCR technologies as well as general SCR information.
By Michael Murray – contributing writer and trend analyst working on behalf of the North American SCR Stakeholders Group and its SCR education and communications task force. The SCR stakeholders group is an ad-hoc industry alliance made up of automotive, light duty and heavy duty OEMs, producers, distributors and governing agencies. Coming soon - www.factsaboutSCR.com will offer news and information related to the use and benefits of SCR, particularly in commercial applications, for the automotive industry and the general public.
No comments:
Post a Comment