Diesel aftertreatment works suprisingly well

Never clean enough.Never clean enough.

Emissions aftertreatment systems in heavy diesel trucks and equipment may be one of the most expensive regulatory demands in the history of government, but new research indicates that they are having the intended effect.

According to tests done by the University of California Riverside and the California Air Resources Board, aftertreatment systems have been so effective in removing particulate matter and NOx from diesel exhaust that California may soon no longer need its special type of diesel fuel.

Since 1988 CARB has required a special blend of diesel with lower aromatics and higher cetane numbers for use in California to help curb air pollution. But the new research published in the International Journal of Engine Research show that the aftertreatment systems will largely eliminate the benefits of CARB diesel.

Does spell the end of CARB diesel? Probably not. In fact California is forging ahead with plans for a low-carbon diesel that would push up the price of on-road diesel 50 percent, to an average price of $6.69 per gallon. According to the California Trucking Association this would have a devastating impact on the state’s economy.

Did we mention that 9 of the top 16 cities in the U.S. for home forclosure rates are in California?