Fuel Smarts

The Southwest Research Institute was awarded a five-year $20.16 million contract by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide testing and analytical services related to emissions and fuel consumption.

Tags: Emissions, Regulations, Fuel Efficiency, EPA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has approved the dimethyl ether for legal use as a vehicle fuel.

Tags: CARB, California, EPA, Department of Agriculture, DME

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Center for Corporate Climate Leadership recognized UPS with one of its Climate Leadership Awards for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, UPS said. The awards acknowledge the voluntary work organizations do to build resilience to climate change.

Tags: UPS, EPA, Awards, Greenhouse Gas, Emissions Reduction

Modern diesels burn so cleanly that laboratory rats suffered no lung illnesses during a lengthy study of their exposure to exhaust gases, according to the Health Effects Institute.

Tags: Environmental Protection Agency, Diesel Engines, Research, Diesel Emissions, Health Issues, EPA, Emissions

Several motor vehicle industry associations including the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association and Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association pledged to reduce the amount of copper in brake pads.

Tags: EPA, HDMA, Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, Environmental Regulations, Air Disc Brake Pads

The dip in oil prices is temporary and will not affect the way federal agencies set fuel economy standards, including upcoming new requirements for heavy trucks, said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

Tags: Fuel Economy Standards, EPA, NHTSA, Regulations, GHG

Westport Innovations Inc. has gained approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to produce a dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) version of Ford's 2015 Transit van.

Tags: EPA, Natural Gas Vehicles, Ford Transit, Full-Size Vans, Westport Innovations, CARB

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is looking for local fleets and owner-operators to participate in a possible truck replacement program funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program will pay for up to half the cost of a new truck, provided the old one is scrapped.

Tags: EPA, Oregon, Ports, Oregon Trucking Association, Clean Diesel, Emissions, DERA, Federal Grants

Under new rules approved by the EPA, vehicles could get smaller DEF tanks than now, because the special fluid is widely available and not as much of it must be carried aboard the vehicle.

Tags: DEF, EPA, DEF tanks

Zenith Motors LLC, a manufacturer of electric vans, recently announced that it is the first auotmaker to receive a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certificate of Conformity for an electric commercial van.

Tags: Vans, EPA, Zenith Motors, Battery-Electric Vehicles

Daimler Trucks North America said Thursday it has realized the objectives of its SuperTruck program one year ahead of schedule. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the SuperTruck program is an ambitious five-year research and development initiative focused on improving freight efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of Class 8 trucks.

Tags: EPA, Fuel Economy, DOE, Daimler Trucks North America, SuperTruck

Westport Innovations is debuting its WiNG natural gas power system for the Ford F-150 at a trade show in California this week, while noting that it is emissions-certified by the state’s Air Resources Board as well as the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Tags: CARB, Natural Gas, EPA, CNG, Westport Innovations, Ford, Compressed Natural Gas, Bi-Fuel, Bi-Fuel CNG

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made $9 million in grant funding available for clean diesel projects to reduce diesel pollution and emissions exposure from the nation's existing fleet of diesel engines.

Tags: Emissions, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Emissions Reduction, Idle Reduction

Expanding the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel and greater use of aerodynamic devices on trailers are among the strategies recommended by a new National Research Council report for reducing fuel consumption by tractor-trailers, transit buses, commercial vehicles, trucks, and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

Tags: Regulations, Environmental Protection Agency, Medium-Duty Trucks, Heavy-Duty Trucks, GHG, EPA, Fuel Economy, NHTSA, Aerodynamics, Natural Gas, Alternative Fuels

UPDATED -- President Obama pushed the start button on the next phase of medium- and heavy-duty fuel economy standards.

Tags: Heavy-Duty Trucks, EPA, Fuel Economy, NHTSA, President Obama, Regulations, ATA

The nation’s largest group of truckers is speaking out against President Obama’s Tuesday announcement ordering federal regulators to increase fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for trucks beyond the 2018 model year. Others say the plan will pay dividends in the trucking industry.

Tags: Regulations, ATA, Frost & Sullivan, Heavy-Duty Trucks, EPA, Fuel Economy, OOIDA, Diesel Technology Forum, NHTSA, President Obama

A group representing more than 260 non-profit consumer organizations across the country is making a case in favor of continuing to increase the fuel efficiency of medium and heavy-duty trucks.

Tags: Regulations, Fuel Economy Standards, GHG, EPA, Fuel Economy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a guidance letter late last year to heavy-duty on-highway engine manufacturers outlining how it intends to determine the physical range of adjustment of diesel exhaust fluid quality for certification testing, according to DiscoverDEF.com.

Tags: SCR, DEF, EPA, Engines, Diesel Exhaust Fluid

Biodiesel producers continue to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to cut the volume of renewable fuels next year. At a Thursday hearing, producers told the agency that the planned cutback threatens investments that already have been made and could lead to layoffs.

Tags: Biodiesel, National Biodiesel Board, EPA, Alternative Fuels, Fuel and Oil

A new study says the reduction in emissions in the newest clean-diesel engines has exceeded the amount required by law. The study by the Coordinating Research Council in cooperation with the Health Effects Institute highlights the low-emissions performance of the new generation of clean diesel technology manufactured starting in 2010.

Tags: Emissions, Diesel Engines, Diesel Emissions, EPA, Diesel Technology Forum, NHTSA

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to cut the volume of renewable fuels next year. The agency is required to set annual standards for cellulosic, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel and total renewables. It gave two reasons why it needs to reduce the percentage of these fuels next year.

Tags: Biodiesel, National Biodiesel Board, EPA