Navistar showcased an addition to its line-up of International trucks, a vehicle based on an existing American LaFrance low cab-over engine platform, at the recent Waste Expo. Navistar and American LaFrance are developing a joint venture to make LCOE vocational trucks. This show truck was designed to show the waste industry what a potential end-product could look like.
The joint venture will build on the engineering platform of American LaFrance and enhance the product offering with proprietary Navistar components, including Navistar’s MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines to meet 2010 EPA emission requirements.
Marketplace rhetoric has insinuated that the use of credits somehow makes a manufacturer non-compliant. In some isolated conversations, customers have questioned whether the use of credits meets the standard. But the ARB letter inarguably confirms and accepts the approach on which we have been working with the EPA since 2004.
In the attached letter to our parent company, Navistar, Inc., ARB acknowledged that engines that use averaging, banking and trading (ABT) provisions comply with the 2010 emissions requirements. ARB added that engine families both using credits and creating credits are compliant and receive “an Executive Order making them legal for sale.” Furthermore, our 2010 engines are considered Best Available Control Technology requiring no retrofitting and are essentially on equal footing with those at 0.20 g/bhp-hr of NOx.
We think this affirmation by ARB will resolve any doubts about the acceptability of credits for meeting emissions requirements. IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer who can meet 2010 emissions with an in-cylinder solution because we planned ahead for it. We have worked tirelessly to give our customers a solution that takes the burden of 2010 compliance off their shoulders.
We are incredibly confident in our 2010 emissions solution. And thanks to this letter from ARB, we think our customers will be, too.
Click here to view the letter.
Regards,
John McKinney
President, IC Bus
Wow! Is it already August? As I sat down to write this week’s email, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to think ahead to August 2010. What might you be doing this time next year?
As you know, IC Bus and our parent company, Navistar, Inc., will meet 2010 EPA emissions requirements with our customer-friendly solution: MaxxForce® Advanced EGR. With Advanced EGR, emissions reduction takes place within the engine, while urea-based SCR, the competitor’s 2010 solution, uses an after-treatment system.
So, how might next year be different for you as it relates to your buses?
Well, if you only have IC BusTM brand buses in your fleet, next year won’t be much different for you, your drivers or service techs. That’s because our MaxxForce Advanced EGR won’t put the burden of compliance on you. IC Bus has taken on that burden so you don’t have to.
This means your drivers won’t be undergoing new training, since our 2010 EPA emissions solution doesn’t add new warning lights to the driver’s interface. Drivers will simply get in their bus and drive, just like they do now.
Your service technicians will not be taking on new hassles and training, either. Our MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines will have an additional turbo and a larger cooling package, but service technicians are already trained to work on both. Further, since the technology used in Advanced EGR evolved from the same technology used to meet 2007 EPA mandates, diagnostic requirements and service intervals remain the same.
Advanced EGR is less hassle for you, your drivers and your service technicians, because you don’t shoulder the burden. When you weigh your options for meeting 2010 emissions requirements, MaxxForce Advanced EGR from IC Bus is clearly the solution that has you covered.
Regards,
John McKinney
President, IC Bus
Regarding heat, our engineers have worked diligently to ensure that our engines optimally manage the heat of combustion. Our 2010 MaxxForce engines do this better than previous generations. EGR heat is not in the engine – it is in the EGR cooler. In fact, although we are flowing slightly more EGR we are also cooling that flow more so any additional heat is dealt with in the cooling system, which is larger. And, we have upgraded our EGR cooler construction and provided a unique, ultra-efficient coolant flow circuit.
As for soot, which is simply unburned fuel, our other technology advances take care of that. The high-pressure fuel system, twin turbos, piston bowl, and multiple injection events make a more efficient burn; therefore the opportunity to make soot is greatly reduced.
Without question, our MaxxForce Advanced EGR technology takes these things into account so that our current engine life is maintained. After all, if you had to worry about reduced engine life, we couldn’t really call it “advanced,” could we?
Once again, with our 2010 compliant MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines maintaining their current service life, IC Bus continues to take the burden of 2010 compliance off our customer.
Regards,John McKinney
President
IC Bus
Have You Heard?
For most bus customers, fuel economy is a big deal. While IC Bus and our parent company, Navistar, Inc., will meet 2010 EPA emissions requirements with an in-cylinder solution known as MaxxForce® Advanced EGR, our competitors continue to shout about the potential fuel economy advantages of their 2010 solution, SCR.
Have you heard our competitors claim that urea fluid-based SCR will yield a 5% – 9% fuel economy advantage over Advanced EGR? In addition to that, I have even heard a “best in class fuel economy” claim. In a world where fuel economy is top of mind and diesel prices always in flux, I think it is critical to keep in mind that these claims have not been proven or tested.
Not proven or tested? That’s right: the SCR claims of fuel economy advantages over MaxxForce Advanced EGR have not been proven or tested.
How do I know this?
Well, since IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer using an Advanced EGR engine for 2010, we would have had to loan our competitors a MaxxForce Advanced EGR engine for testing this claim. Since we did not do that, it seems this claim is completely unsupported.
Plus, based on SAE fuel economy tests, today’s MaxxForce engines already enjoy a fuel economy advantage (by as much as 12.9%) over competitive engines. So competitors have a lot of ground to make up with their coming 2010 engine designs just to get comparable to the fuel economy of today’s MaxxForce engines.
For argument’s sake, let’s imagine SCR buses do have a fuel economy advantage. Bus owners using fluid-based SCR will still have to consider their total cost of operations increase which will include urea fluid purchase (currently at $4/gallon, Diesel Fuel News, 6/15/09), handling, storage, maintenance, as well as driver and service technician training. All of this hassle should be taken into account when considering any potential (and yet unproven) fuel economy advantage.
IC Bus is providing bus customers a 2010 solution that is customer friendly. No hassles. No new driver or service tech training. And with today’s MaxxForce engine already enjoying a proven fuel economy advantage, no fuel economy worries.
Regards,
John McKinney
President
IC Bus
From Truckers News, June 2009
A letter to the editor from Rob Williams, Gresham, Ore.
I’m a veteran of more than 50 years in the trucking business, with 40 of those years spent as an owner-operator. Since I retired about two years ago, I have been testing the new 2010 Detroit Diesel with this “diesel fluid” tank, as you call it. We call it urea.
Though it is not classified as a hazardous material by the DOT and your source, Mr. Jim Spooner of Colonial Chemicals in New Jersey, says it is safe and inexpensive, you do a disservice to us all by not getting the facts right and taking one source as your proof.
The Material Safety Data Sheet provides the following guidelines for what to do if you come into contact with urea: Move to fresh air if inhaled and provide artificial respiration if needed; wash skin with soap and water, and if there is a rash contact physician right away; flush eyes immediately with water for 15 minutes. If it catches fire, it will burn a strong ammonia smell (carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide) — avoid breathing the fumes. Wear personal protective equipment, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves and use in a well-ventilated area. Toxic inhalation may cause respiratory tract problems, and it can be irritating to the eyes.
I personally had some of this stuff blow out of the plastic tank and onto the hot muffler, and the smell was so bad I began to stop breathing. I had to get out of the truck immediately the odor of ammonia was so strong. When filling the urea tanks if they spill over it must be cleaned up immediately or fluffy white foamy residue will form on the tanks, and you must wear safety glasses, rubber gloves and clothing protection when you fill up these tanks. I know; I have been doing this for two years, and it is not as safe as you want truckers to believe. So with all due respect, get your facts straight and retract what you said in Truckers News, or at least check it out and print a follow-up.
I will be looking for it. Many truckers are going to get sick, hurt or maybe even die if they are not trained on how to use this product. I am trained, and it’s not as easy as you try to make it out to be. It can be very dangerous even though DOT has not classified it as a hazmat product.
SUBJECT: Maker of liquid urea warns of consequences of improper storing or handling
We have been advising our customers that as they consider EGR versus SCR as an emissions strategy for 2010, they should be aware of the many challenges that the liquid urea used in SCR will impose on them.
A new white paper – distributed by the urea industry itself – confirms these challenges.
The attached paper, called “Successful Urea/Diesel Exhaust Fluid Handling, Storage and Dispensing,” was sponsored by a leading maker of liquid urea, a leading distributor and a leading maker of dispensing pumps.
The paper points out the very exacting standards that will be necessary in storing and handling liquid urea, in order to avoid malfunctions and equipment problems.
Here are just some of the white paper’s warnings (italics added):
• “Storage temperatures higher than 86° F will detrimentally affect urea concentration and below 12° F, DEF will begin to crystallize. Both of these circumstances could render the product out of specification and unfit for sale.” (page 7)
• “Product impurities can detrimentally affect the after-treatment systems’ performance and void vehicle warranty guarantees due to premature catalyst deactivation and/or fouling of prefilters and injector nozzles.” (page 5)
• “Injectors are very sensitive, making purity extremely important, as any un-dissolved material may clog filters or injectors. Additionally, dissolved material can result in premature SCR catalyst failure.” (page 6)
• “Premature failure will activate the on-board vehicle diagnostics systems, dramatically reducing vehicle performance.” (page 6)
As you consider which technology will best meet your 2010 needs — Advanced EGR, or liquid urea-based SCR – you need to be aware of all the problems and challenges posed by liquid urea.
Regards,
Mark Johnson
Marketing Communications Manager
Navistar, Inc.
Click on the following to download the White Paper. UREA_HANDLING_White_Paper_060909
IC Bus will meet 2010 EPA emissions requirements for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) with MaxxForce Advanced EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation).
As you may know, all on-highway diesel engines sold in the United States and Canada since 2007 use some form of EGR. EGR re-circulates NOx exhaust into the intake stream, where it displaces some of the normal intake. This slows and cools the combustion process, reducing NOx formation. MaxxForce Advanced EGR takes EGR even further, thanks to four unique technological innovations only offered in 2010 MaxxForce engines:
•· Next-generation fuel injection systems deliver fuel into the cylinders multiple times per cycle and at higher pressures. This means combustion takes place over a longer period and is more complete, resulting in creation of lower NOx.
•· Proprietary combustion bowl design combines with the higher fuel injection pressure to break the fuel up into a finer mist that is spread more evenly inside the cylinder. This results in a more complete and cleaner burn.
•· Advanced air management systems place an interstage cooler between dual turbochargers. This reduces air temperature going into the cylinders and allows more air to be packed into the large second-stage turbo for maximum power at high engine speeds. Combining these features with the increased EGR rate means the combustion in the cylinder occurs slower and at a lower temperature, generating less NOx.
•· Electronic calibration, supported by increases in computing power, replaces pre-programmed lookup tables and allows engine controllers to continuously calculate the optimum fuel-air mix for maximum power and efficiency.
The result of these innovations is an engine that treats NOx in-cylinder, and therefore requires no additional aftertreatment – and no extra burden on our customers.
Alternatively, our competitors will add an aftertreatment system based on SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) using urea fluid. SCR comes with the complication and cost of a new aftertreatment system and urea fluid maintenance and training.
IC Bus did not want to put the hassle of urea on bus operators’ shoulders. So, by using Advanced EGR, IC Bus takes the burden of compliance off customers with technology advancements that we have been working on for years. Because of these advancements, you can chose an IC Bus with a MaxxForce Advanced EGR engine and avoid dealing with the burdens of urea fluid-based SCR.
Bottom line: IC Bus thought about 2010 emissions so that you wouldn’t have to.
| Regards,John McKinney President IC Bus |
Louisville, KY – Daniel Ustian, CEO of Navistar International Corp., said that he was proud of the industry’s work to reduce diesel engine emissions over the past few years.
Noting that by 2010 nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions will have been cut by more than 90% each in less than 15 years, Ustain said the effort has been expensive. He said that Navistar spends about $400 million a year on research and development and that “50% of that is on emissions on the environment.” Ustian spoke at the meeting of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association here in March.
Written by Jonathan S. Reiskin in Light & Medium Truck, May 2009
The truth is MaxxForce® Advanced EGR is the 2010 emissions compliant technology that is less cost, less hassle, better for the environment and takes the burden of compliance off of the bus customer. Yet, there are myths and misconceptions circulating in the marketplace that call into question those facts. Let’s clear the air with the truth.
SCR MYTH: SCR is greener.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: MaxxForce engines are greener. Navistar chose to make its engines cleaner than EPA emissions as early as 2004. So, Navistar has been making cleaner engines for years. Unfortunately, our competitors didn’t reduce their engine emissions as much as we did, so their engines have been putting out more emissions than ours, for years.
Additionally, because SCR engines can continue to run for periods of time without appropriate urea, SCR buses can pollute the environment in excess of EPA emissions requirements unless the urea tank is properly maintained or filled.
SCR MYTH: SCR will yield a 5% – 9% fuel economy advantage.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: This has not been proven or tested. Since IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer using an Advanced EGR engine for 2010, we would have had to loan our competitors a MaxxForce Advanced EGR engine for testing. Since we did not do that, this myth is completely unsupported.
Based on SAE fuel economy tests, our MaxxForce engines already enjoy a fuel economy advantage (by as much as 12.9%) over competitive engines today. So the competition has a lot of ground to make up with their coming 2010 engine designs just to get comparable to the fuel economy of our MaxxForce engines. And even if competitive engines did make up that ground, bus customers would still be left with the complexities of dealing with urea.
Additionally, even if SCR buses do have a fuel economy advantage, bus owners still have to consider their total cost of operations increase with SCR which will include urea purchase, handling, storage and maintenance, as well as driver and service technician training. All of this should be taken into account when considering any potential fuel economy advantage which is yet unproven.
SCR MYTH: SCR is proven.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: SCR is proven in Europe. European emission standards are not as strict as EPA 2010 so the hardware is not simply “plug and play” in North America.
Also, in Europe there is no governance for managing engine compliance when urea is not used. In other words, they use the honor system. Vehicles with no urea in Europe are completely drivable at full power. However, in North America, EPA 2010 guidelines regulate a vehicle’s drivable distance and speed when there is no urea in the system.
Keep in mind that SCR is unproven in North American road conditions and climates. As noted in the table above, average temperatures between the two continents vary significantly, so making an apples to apples comparison is inaccurate.
Alternatively, Advanced EGR is an evolution of the current technology that almost all North American engine manufacturers are using on the road today. You can count on knowing that MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines have been thoroughly tested and proven in North America.
SCR MYTH: An SCR bus will not shut down if the urea tank is empty.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: An SCR bus will not shut down, but it will derate to 5 mph after a period of time. With Advanced EGR engines you do not have to worry about a 5 mph derate. Ever. You are compliant when you turn the key. Period. With Advanced EGR, drivers do not have to worry about what to do with your passengers in a bus that will only travel at 5mph.
SCR MYTH: An SCR bus will maintain current service intervals.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: There is information to suggest that testers of of 2010 SCR systems in Canada have experienced an increase in service intervals. Reports claim that SCR test vehicles are being serviced more often to remove crystallized urea build-up on the doser nozzle. This is another example of how SCR components can create additional maintenance requirements.
SCR MYTH: Once derated and the urea tank is filled, full power of an SCR engine will resume.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: This depends on the engine manufacturer. Although the EPA does not appear to require a reset, it is our understanding that at least one engine manufacturer using SCR, will require an engine reset that can only be performed through a service call. With MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines you do not have to worry about a vehicle derate or engine reset — our engines are always 2010 compliant and all you have to do is turn the key.
SCR MYTH: DEF is expected to cost the same as diesel fuel.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: There is no evidence in the marketplace to support this. It’s too early for anyone to predict what the cost of urea will be in 2010 and beyond. We’ve seen containers of urea sell for around $12 per gallon in Europe and as high as $35 per gallon in America. And while some have claimed that prices will come down with bulk sales, early plans for bulk sales have been vague at best.
It is important to note that urea is subject to fluctuations in natural gas prices, which swing wildly. Buying urea in small containers might be a simple way to avoid handling and testing complications, but the prices are expected to be higher for smaller-sized containers. Buying urea in bulk might bring the price down, but this method requires purification testing as well as the cost of a storage infrastructure ($50,000 – $1 million).
SCR MYTH: Urea will be readily available everywhere.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: Urea will be available in jugs for sale at a limited number of truck stops. Do you have easy access to a truck stop? If not, do you plan to install the infrastructure (costing $50,000 or more) on your own property to store and dispense it on site? Remember that with urea’s need to be temperature controlled, it is not as simple as keeping a jug or two in a cabinet in your shop.
SCR MYTH: Advanced EGR reduces engine life by 20-25%
ADVANCED EGR FACT: False. MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines will maintain their current service life.
