Fuel Smarts

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

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

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

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

A federal court on Friday dismissed a challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision allowing Navistar International to make earlier model engines while paying a fine.

Tags: Volvo, Navistar, Detroit Diesel, EPA, Mack, Engines, Damler Truck

The Environmental Protection Agency is more ambitious for the next phase of its heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards than it was for the first, and will look at trailers as well as new engine and transmission technologies.

Tags: Fuel Economy Standards, GHG, EPA, Industry, Fuel and Oil, President Obama, ACT Expo

Results from a new poll show mixed feedback from carriers when it comes to fuel economy and maintenance costs of 2010 engines versus 2007 engines.

Tags: Fleets, Transport Capital Partners, Engines, Emissions, EPA

A survey of fuel efficiency initiatives found that the best payback came from cutting highway speed, training drivers and progressive shifting. Not surprisingly, these actions, along with recording engine data for greater driver feedback, also were the most commonly implemented among the carriers surveyed

Tags: Fuel and Oil, SmartWay, EPA, Transplace

UPDATED -- The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the petroleum industry, is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging its mandate for the use of 1.28 billion gallons of biodiesel in 2013, a 28% increase from the 2012 requirement.

Tags: Fuel and Oil, Alternative Fuels, Biodiesel, API, EPA