The latest J.D. Power study, Global Outlook For Diesel, predicts that the share of diesels among first-time registrations in North America will rise to more than 15% by 2015. It is in the light of this development that Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volkswagen say they will be systematically expanding their ranges of diesel vehicles.

The name BLUETEC presently covers diesel engines with exhaust emission treatment systems meeting the US Tier 2 Bin 5 standards. The systems employed by BLUETEC serve in particular to reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_x) the only constituent part of the exhaust gases which, due to the design of the diesel, inherently lies above the value for gasoline engines. In this way it will in future also be possible to meet the strict limits imposed by the State of California.

Depending on the vehicle class concerned, various NO_x treatment systems can be used. In one version designed for a lighter-powered application, for instance, an oxidizing catalytic converter and a particulate filter are combined with a further improved, particularly long-life NO_x storage converter.

Another method—injection of AdBlue, a separate, water-based additive, into the exhaust gas—is used for more demanding situations.

Accompanying the BLUETEC announcement, Volkswagen introduced its Concept Tiguan SUV powered by “Clean TDI”—the first Volkswagen BLUETEC-labeled product.

BLUETEC is a brand of DaimlerChrysler which is already being used by the corporation’s Mercedes-Benz cars and commercial vehicles. In future the name BLUETEC will also stand for clean diesel engines from Audi, Volkswagen and Jeep in the United States.

In September, DaimlerChrysler announced that it is targeting three US BLUETEC models in the R-Class, ML-Class and the GL Class as early as 2008 that meet the 50-state Bin 5 emissions standard. (Earlier post.)

The current E320 BLUETEC, introduced to the US market in October—timed to coincide with the introduction of low-sulfur diesel fuel in the USA—is not Bin-5 compliant, and went on sale as a 45-state vehicle.