Webasto Product North America, which provides heating and cooling solutions for the light and heavy-duty transportation industries, has received approval for several products that meet California's new standards for air quality
scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2008.
Webasto's products are among the earliest anti-idle devices to receive approval for CARB's new ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) idling emissions reduction requirements.
Approved heaters include the Webasto Air Top 2000 S and Air Top 2000 ST compartment air heaters and Thermo Top Z/C engine coolant pre-heater.
A fourth Webasto product - BlueCool Truck, which provides cold air to cool a truck's bunk in hot weather - did not need review because it has no emissions.
"Webasto's most popular air heaters, sold as original equipment by a number of OE Heavy Duty Truck producers, as well as through aftermarket channels, surpassed all emission categories from CARB, and many measured in a range well below LEV II regulated levels," said Don Kanneth, general manager of Webasto's Commercial Vehicle Division.
"For example in one category, particulate matter output was so low that you could theoretically park 20 Class 8 trucks outfitted with Webasto Air Top 2000 S Heaters next to each other and the combined emissions would still meet the CARB requirements for just one truck. We had other emission categories that tested even better."
As of Jan. 1, no truck will be allowed to idle more than five minutes in California. A mandatory shutdown at the five-minute mark will be required. Because a main goal is to limit engine idling during mandatory rest-time for drivers, the new regulation expands beyond fuel-operated heaters (FOH) to Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and any system that produces emissions during the shutdown period.
These products are very popular with truck drivers by providing creature comforts during times they are resting between long drives - capabilities they could receive from an idling Class 8 engine that burns up to a gallon of fuel per hour. All no-idle devices must meet CARB's exhaust gas limits on nitrous oxide, particulate matter, carbon dioxide and other gases that are damaging to air quality.
Webasto's Air Top Heaters address driver comfort by efficiently heating sleeper cabs without idling the vehicle engine. Air Top 2000 S and Air Top 2000 ST heaters operate up to 20 hours on a gallon of fuel, are extremely quiet in operation, and can typically pay for themselves in one season of use.
The Webasto Thermo Top Z/C provides reliable on-demand engine preheating. This system heats and circulates coolant through the engine block. The Thermo Top/TSL 17 significantly reduces fuel consumption, cold engine start damage and exhaust emissions. It is a self-contained system that is compact and easily mounts in the engine compartment.
Designed for no-idle bunk cooling while the driver sleeps, BlueCool Truck is charged while the truck is moving down the road. It provides cool cabin air via stored thermal energy, and uses minimal 12-volt power to run fans and circulate the coolant. The system uses no diesel fuel and therefore produces no emissions during the cooling operation because it runs independently of the OEM air conditioning system.
For additional information, visit www.webasto-us.com or call (800) 215-7010.