From Today's Sacramento Bee;
No fuming over fuel change New diesel blend will ease smog, officials say By Chris Bowman -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Monday, August 28, 2006 Story appeared on Page A3 <http://www.sacbee.com/content/print_edition/#MAIN NEWS> of The Bee Print<http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-print/story/14310419p-15207562c.html>| E-Mail<http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-email/story/14310419p-15207562c.html>| Comments (0)<http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14310419p-15207562c.html#comments_here> U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator Wayne Nastri demonstrates, using a white handkerchief, the cleanliness of emissions from the tailpipe of a school bus using "ultra low-sulfur" diesel. The state will switch over Friday to the cleaner-burning fuel. Sacramento Bee/Andy Alfaro See additional images<http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14310419p-15207562c.html#more_images> California will reach another big milestone on the road to healthier air this week as suppliers of diesel complete a mandated switch to an "ultra low-sulfur" blend. Remarkably, the sweeping changeover in fuel arrives unheralded by the usual angst or trepidation over engine breakdowns, performance drops and price spikes at the pump. "It's been very quiet, to the point that we had to publicize that it's taking place," said Jerry Martin, veteran spokesman for the state Air Resources Board, which adopted the diesel rule. <http://ads.sacbee.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.sacbee.com/content/politics/64704644/Button20/Sacbee/Gottschalks_ROS_300_0608_ZZZ/Gottschalks_Brands_300_0806-B.gif/63633763356366653432653866663930> Smog regulators demonstrated the new fuel in Sacramento last week by holding a bleached-white handkerchief to the exhaust spout of an idling tanker truck. Sure enough, as news cameras zoomed in, the hankie stayed spotless. Aesthetics aside, the new fuel promises to greatly reduce harmful emissions from trucks and buses, smog officials said. The cleaner fuel also paves the way for auto manufacturers to introduce a wide variety of diesel-powered passenger vehicles that otherwise could not meet California's toughest-in-the-nation exhaust standards, according to diesel engine manufacturers. "You can see them all lining up," said Michael Coates, spokesman for the Diesel Technology Forum, a nonprofit industry trade group. On Friday, General Motors announced plans to roll out a 360-horsepower turbodiesel in a full-size pickup sometime after 2009. BMW, Volkswagen, DaimlerChrysler and Ford have similar plans in the works, Coates said. In addition to delivering more punch than gasoline engines at low speeds, the diesel models would rival today's gasoline hybrids on fuel economy, Coates said. GM promises that its debut engine will use 25 percent less fuel than a comparable gasoline V8. California's deadline for the switch-over to low-sulfur diesel is Friday. A similar federal rule gives diesel suppliers elsewhere in the nation until Oct. 1. The regulations limit the sulfur content in diesel to 15 parts per million -- a 97 percent reduction from the current 500 ppm standard. Sulfur, a naturally occurring component of diesel, is not the chemical of health concern. Rather, the sulfur interferes with pollution control equipment on diesel-powered vehicles. At current levels, the chemical clogs soot filters and disarms catalytic converters, which destroy smog-forming gases in the exhaust. Diesel engines produce cancer-causing soot and vastly surpass gasoline-fueled models in emissions of nitrogen oxides, compounds that smudge the skies yellowish-brown and form ozone -- the ingredient in smog that irritates the eyes and airways, according to the state air board. "Realistically, we are not going to eliminate diesel engines anytime soon, so we have to clean them up as much as we can," the air board's Martin said. Nationwide, the cleaner fuel is expected to reduce soot and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 90 percent in the next three years as truck and bus engine manufacturers phase in models with stronger emission standards. When fully implemented, in 2010, the new engine standards will prevent an estimate 8,300 soot-related deaths and tens of thousands of smog-related diseases such as bronchitis and asthma, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In California, the vast majority of service stations are selling the cleaner diesel, according to the state air board. "The public really has not noticed any changeover, though it has mostly occurred," Martin said. That was not hardly the case in previous changeovers to cleaner fuel in California. Motorists complained of engine knocking for years as the octane-enhancing lead was phased out of gasoline in the late 1970s. The first reformulation of diesel in 1993, which cut sulfur to 500 ppm from 3,000 ppm, created a storm of protests as the changeover boosted the price at truckers' pumps and caused engine breakdowns and fuel leakage in thousands of big rigs, Martin recalled. The furor also forced the resignation of the much-respected air board chairwoman, Jananne Sharpless, an appointee of then-Gov. Pete Wilson, Martin said. Then, in the late 1990s, Wilson's successor, Gray Davis, faced political pressure to phase out the gasoline ingredient methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, a compound introduced into California's fuel to replace harmful lead as an octane booster. As refineries increased the amount of MTBE to replace other harmful components, the additive posed a special environmental threat in gasoline leaks and spills. Highly soluble, MTBE moved far faster underground than any other gasoline ingredients and could pass through purification plants. And at low levels it imparted a solventlike taste to drinking water. The state no longer allows MTBE in fuel. On 8/28/06, Rich Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Doesn't the new Benz E-CDI get close to 40mpg? I know there are emissions concerns with diesels, can't buy them in some progressive states, but I have not seen a comparison on overall emissions/mile with gassers/new diesels (and the types of emissions, I know they are different). I would think that for in-town stop/go a hybrid is best, for commuting longer distances a diesel has benefits. I think MB are working on a diesel/electric hybrid but not sure how the duty cycle is figured into various decisions on gas/electric, diesel/electric, diesel, and gasser variants -- emissions, mileage, etc. --R Kaleb C. Striplin wrote: > it seems to me like they need to start making those small little diesels > again. That would be much better than these hydrid things. > > Robert & Tara Ludwick wrote: > >> A prius doesn't get 51 mpg on the highway, I have a few freinds with >> the things, at 70 mph on the highway on an 80 mile commute, they get >> less than 30mpg, usually in the mid to high 20s, I was getting 31-34 >> with the 82 300sd and a steady foot. >> My buddy with the Honda hybrid was only getting in the low 20s on about >> a 90 mile per day commute, and the engine folded after about a year and >> a half and was already well out of waranty. What a heap. >> >> The Hybrids only get that fancy fuel mileage in slow stop and go >> traffic, where they will get 50mpg +, but as a commuter vehicle they are >> worthless. >> When you consider that I used to get 60 mpg in my old mid 80s VW rabbit >> diesel with a manny tranny, and didn't have to worry about rediculously >> expensive batteries, it looks like things are moving backwards.Then , >> there's the VW Lupo diesel that they get in Europe that gets 90 mpg.... >> >> ---------Robert >> >> >> _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
