Volkswagen has launched a new range of diesel engines (TDI) characterized by extremely low nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx). The Touareg V8 TDI, generating 310 kW (421 PS) (earlier post), is among the first Volkswagens to feature an exhaust purification system that brings NOx to these low level: it emits between... Read more →

The all-new SEAT Leon offers five different powertrain technologies: gasoline (TSI); diesel (TDI); mild-hybrid (eTSI); plug-in hybrid (eHybrid); and compressed natural gas (TGI). SEAT is a member of the Volkswagen Group. In total, there are eleven different mechanical variants, with power outputs ranging from 90 PS with the 1.0 TSI... Read more →

In Frankfurt, Kia unveiled the new Sorento, the fourth generation of its mid-size SUV, including for the first time a hybrid option. Sorento is at the heart of Kia’s reinvigorated global SUV line-up, which also includes the Seltos, Stonic, Telluride and Sportage. The Sorento’s evolution over the last 18 years... Read more →

Vitesco Technologies, formerly (until September 2019) the Continental Powertrain Division, has won a major contract from an European vehicle manufacturer for the supply of innovative electric heating elements for diesel catalytic converters. This EMICAT brand e-catalyst technology will be used in two of the manufacturer’s 48-volt hybrid van models. Start... Read more →

Preem has chosen Haldor Topsoe’s HydroFlex renewable fuel hydrotreating technology to produce clean renewable diesel and jet fuel at its Gothenburg refinery in Sweden. The 16,000 barrels-per-day unit will have a yearly production capacity of approximately one million cubic meters of fuels which corresponds to about 25% of Sweden’s estimated... Read more →

Power management company Eaton has expanded its portfolio of valvetrain solutions for diesel off-highway vehicles to help OEMs reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. Eaton’s new technology allows for cost-effective, variable valve actuation with hydraulic lash adjustment (HLA) function. This technology enables precise valve lift control through HLA, coupled with... Read more →

Volkswagen unveiled the new eight-generation Golf GTI, the Golf GTD and the Golf GTE plug-in hybrid via a live stream event, in place of the cancelled Geneva International Motor Show. GTI. The new Golf GTI is powered by a 180 kW (245 PS) 2.0-liter turbocharged direct injection engine (EA888 evo4).... Read more →

Belgium-based Punch Group has acquired GM’s propulsion engineering center in Turin, Italy. The transaction between the two companies includes an engineering services agreement (ESA) to support GM’s global product programs through the end of 2021. Since 2005, Turin has served as a global center of excellence for diesel propulsion systems... Read more →

Researchers led by Prof. WANG Feng at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have reported that photocatalytic decarboxylation is an efficient alternate pathway for converting biomass-derived fatty acids into alkanes under mild conditions of ambient temperature and pressure. This finding was published in... Read more →

Kia Motors Corporation revealed details of the next-generation Sorento’s new platform and powertrains. The new Sorento will make its public debut at the upcoming 2020 Geneva International Motor Show. The latest Sorento will be the first SUV to be based on Kia’s new platform when production commences later this year.... Read more →

At the upcoming 2020 Geneva International Motor Show, BMW will present three new plug-in hybrid models for the premium mid-range—all in the 3 Series. The debuts include the new BMW 330e Touring (combined fuel consumption: from 1.7 l/100 km; combined power consumption: from 15.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: from... Read more →

Voltabox AG secured a long-term framework contract with e-troFit GmbH as the preferred supplier of high-performance battery systems for e-troFit’s conversion solutions for diesel buses. e-troFit is individually adapted to the customer’s requirements: Based on an analysis of the route profile, the company determines the actual battery capacity requirement and... Read more →

NextChem, an Italian renewable energy technology company, is partnering with Kansas-based Saola Energy to support the production of renewable diesel from vegetable oils and residual fats. NextChem and Saola Energy will combine their relative knowhow and expertise to deliver a comprehensive solution to the marketplace. NextChem will be the licensor... Read more →

The BMW X5 and the BMW X6 now also offer 48V mild-hybrid technology to optimize the spontaneous power delivery and effectiveness of the drive system. From May 2020, the new BMW X5 xDrive40d (combined fuel consumption: 6.4 – 5.9 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 167 – 154 g/km) and the... Read more →

In the last quarter of 2019, EU demand for diesel cars further decreased, dropping to 29.5% of new-car registrations, according to data from ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Gasoline cars accounted for 57.3% of the EU market, while electrically‐chargeable vehicles (ECV) made up 4.4% of total new car sales... Read more →

[In the earlier version of this post, I mistakenly linked to and used the 2019 report rather than the current 2020 report. I apologize for the error. —Ed] The Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA) released a new report—“Technology Feasibility for Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks in Achieving 90% Lower NOx Standards... Read more →

SEAT presented at its Martorell facilities the all-new SEAT Leon compact. The company, a member of the Volkswagen Group, has invested more than €1.1 billion in fourth generation of the Leon to bring it to market with more efficient engines, next levels of connectivity and driving assistance, dynamism and eye-catching... Read more →

Researchers from the University of Liverpool, Queen Mary University, London and Trinity College Dublin have linked exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) to susceptibility to pneumococcal disease. An open-access paper on the work is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that... Read more →

Testing of two popular Euro 6d-temp diesels by Ricardo, commissioned by the environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), has found that the periodic regeneration of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) in the light-duty vehicles can generate spikes of particulate emissions of more than 1,000 times the normal rate. This results in... Read more →

Researchers at EPFL have patented a new concept that could cut trucks’ CO2 emissions by almost 90%. The EPFL system captures CO2 directly in the trucks’ exhaust system and liquefies it in a box on the vehicle’s roof. The liquid CO2 would then be delivered to a service station and... Read more →

The Government of Sweden has launched a study to offer proposals on how to implement a ban on sales of new gasoline and diesel cars, and the timeline for the phase-out of fossil fuels. The final report is to be presented by 1 February 2021. Sven Hunhammar will chair the... Read more →

A novel oxygenate molecule that can be produced from biomass shows promise for use as a blend for diesel fuel, according to researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Their paper is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The NREL scientists, along with colleagues at... Read more →

Chevrolet unveiled the new 2021 Tahoe and Suburban. Each is enlarged, and redesigned to offer the most interior space of any SUV, exclusive technologies and features, and the best driving dynamics in the full-size segment. The new SUVs combine the strongest aspects of Chevrolet’s new full-size truck architecture with entirely... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of grant funding to implement projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $44 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants. EPA is soliciting applications... Read more →

HollyFrontier Corporation, an independent petroleum refiner and marketer that produces high value light products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other specialty products, plans to construct a new renewable diesel unit (RDU) at its Artesia, New Mexico refinery (Navajo Refinery). The RDU will have a production capacity of... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced the opening off the application period for the competitive Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Combustion Freight and Marine Project funding. This solicitation is open to eligible owners of in-use freight trucks, switcher locomotives, ferries, tugboats and towboats throughout California. The South Coast Air Quality Management... Read more →

Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC (DGD) has filed an application with the California Air Resources Board (ARB) seeking carbon intensity (CI) certification for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) of renewable diesel (RD) pathways from distillers corn oil; rendered animal fat; and used cooking oil (UCO) at the Diamond Green... Read more →

Concentrations of the harmful NO2 pollutant across 30 major European cities could be reduced by up to 40% with the correct traffic policy measures, according to EU Joint Research Center (JRC) scientists. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe.... Read more →

General Motors and Isuzu announced a $175-million investment through their DMAX joint venture to build an all-new, diesel engine components plant in Brookville, Ohio. The new 251,000 square-foot facility would expand the production of critical engine components for the company’s current DMAX diesel engine manufacturing operation in Moraine, Ohio. 2017... Read more →

Jeep will offer a diesel-powered Wrangler for the first time in North America with the introduction of the 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel. Wrangler four-door models will offer the new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine (earlier post), rated at 260 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque in this application, with engine stop-start... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board has issued a Product Alert for Fuel Additives under the Alternative Diesel Fuels (ADF) Regulation. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has conducted emissions testing that showed that tested additives failed to effectively mitigate to the regulatory standard. These results raise significant questions both as... Read more →

Volkswagen has unveiled the eighth generation of the Golf—the most successful Volkswagen model, having sold more than 35 million units. The newest Golf is digitalized, networked, predictive, intuitively operated and electrified, with five hybrid versions from mild to plug-in. Its digital interior architecture opens up a new dimension of intuitive... Read more →

Neste, the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel, has opened a new office in Hoofddorp, in greater Amsterdam which will serve as the global hub for the growing Renewable Aviation business. Neste is now also launching Neste MY Renewable Diesel to climate-conscious fleet customers in the Netherlands. The opening of... Read more →

Ram Truck announced EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 powered by the new 3.0-liter V-6 EcoDiesel engine. The half-ton EcoDiesel will be rated at 32 miles per gallon (mpg) highway, 22 mpg city for 4x2 models; 29 mpg highway, 21 mpg city for 4x4 models. Ram 1500’s... Read more →

Gevo, Inc. has developed proprietary, breakthrough processes that convert either low-carbon isobutanol or low-value fusel oils—a mixture of alcohols that are byproducts from fermentation processes such as alcohol production—into renewable diesel. Gevo expects this renewable diesel to compete head-to-head on price with natural and petroleum-based equivalents, while reducing particulates and... Read more →

Since 2018, Volkswagen has used only SCR exhaust gas treatment systems with its diesel engines. SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology significantly reduces nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas. Volkswagen has now developed the next evolutionary stage of its SCR system: “twin dosing”. Adblue is injected selectively upstream of two SCR... Read more →

According to a study commissioned by the Washington, DC-based Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), NOx emissions measured from propane autogas school buses were substantially lower than those measured from diesel school buses. The study was conducted in 2018 by West Virginia University’s Center of Alternatives Fuels, Engines, and Emissions... Read more →

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that 34 cleaner energy transportation projects will receive $8,489,844 in Driving PA Forward grants and rebates. Funded by Pennsylvania’s share of the settlement with Volkswagen Group of America, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)is committing funding for a range of clean energy transportation projects on... Read more →

Researchers in Europe have found that while diesel particulate filters (DPFs) have to a large extent masked the role of diesel fuel properties on particulate emissions, there is still room for optimization, especially in particle number (PN) emissions of vehicles with frequent regenerations. Their study is published in the journal... Read more →

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the available, all-new 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine delivers an EPA-estimated 33 mpg highway and 23 city in rear-wheel-drive models. EPA-estimated fuel economy for four-wheel drive models is 29 mpg highway/23 city. With an SAE-certified 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft (624 N·m) of torque, the... Read more →

UK new car registrations declined for a fourth consecutive month in June, with year-on-year demand falling by -4.9% to 223,421 units, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 1,269,245 new cars joined British roads in the first half of the year, down... Read more →

Audi’s sporty top model of the Q family, the SQ8 TDI SUV coupé, features a biturbo V8 TDI diesel that delivers 435 metric hp, 900 NN·mm (663.8 lb-ft) of torque, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.8 seconds. 4.0-liter V8 TDI Biturbo engine with electric powered... Read more →

The Mercedes-Benz OM 654q four-cylinder diesel from the modern OM 654 engine family already complies with the Stage 2 RDE (Real Driving Emissions) standard which does not come into force until 2020, and is certified to Euro 6d. With its near-engine installation, the emission control system has low heat losses... Read more →

The 2020 Ram 1500 will become the most powerful half-ton diesel pickup in the US, with 480 lb-ft (651 N·m) of torque, and the most capable light-duty diesel, with towing capability up to 12,560 pounds. The all-new third-generation 3.0-liter V-6 EcoDiesel is also expected to lead the segment on fuel... Read more →

Audi is launching the fourth generation of the A6 allroad quattro on European markets with a choice of three V6 TDI 3.0-liter engines. The 3.0 TDI is available in three output ratings. The first produces 170 kW (231 PS) and – from 1,750 to 3,250 rpm – 500 N·m (368.8... Read more →

Audi is launching the fourth generation of the A6 allroad quattro on European markets with a choice of three V6 TDI 3.0-liter engines. The 3.0 TDI is available in three output ratings. The first produces 170 kW (231 PS) and – from 1,750 to 3,250 rpm – 500 N·m (368.8... Read more →

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Madison and ExxonMobil Research and Engineering have devised a two-stage process by which an alcohol such as ethanol or 1-butanol can be converted with high yields into distillate-range ethers and olefins by combining Guerbet coupling (the coupling of two alcohol molecules) and intermolecular dehydration.... Read more →

For the same vehicle models with different powertrains, the carbon footprint of the battery-powered E variants is already better than those of the corresponding vehicles with internal combustion engines, according to a certified life cycle assessment (LCA) of the Volkswagen Golf, which compares the CO2 emissions of the different vehicle... Read more →

Mazda Motor Corporation announced at the New York International Auto Show that it has begun accepting pre-orders for the diesel-powered 2019 Mazda CX-5 in the US market. It is the first time Mazda has offered a diesel-powered passenger car in the US market. The 2019 CX-5 Signature AWD with Skyactiv-D... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board announced a settlement with Fiat Powertrain Technologies Industrial S.p.A for emissions-related violations affecting nearly 2,000 on-road and off-road diesel engines. The settlement includes a mandatory recall of affected vehicles and $6.4 million in penalties. The enforcement case began after the company informed CARB in 2015... Read more →