In Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, the states that comprise EPA Region 5, near-zero-emissions commercial diesel truck technologies now make up 53.6 percent of the diesel-powered commercial vehicles on U.S. roads, according to the Diesel Technology Forum’s analysis of 2020 U.S. vehicles in operation data (Class 3-8) provided by IHS Markit.
“America’s commercial trucks (Classes 3-8), from small box trucks to 18 wheelers, increasingly utilize the newest, cleanest diesel technologies, generating greater air quality and fuel savings benefits which are being realized by Region 5 communities across the country," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.
"Indiana, one of the Region 5 states, ranks first in the nation for the highest percentage of newest-generation diesel trucks, with nearly 67 percent of the state’s registered diesel fleet using the newest, cleanest diesel technologies," Schaeffer said. "This is the 8th year that Indiana ranks No. 1 and Indiana also experienced one of the highest growth rates, with the diesel fleet growing 5 percent between July 2019 and December 2020.
“While the promise of zero-emission commercial vehicles in the future is growing, it may be many years if not a decade or more before these solutions enter the fleet in significant numbers, making the growth in new near-zero emissions diesel trucks key to sustaining climate and clean air progress," Schaeffer said.
“Beginning in 2010, all new heavy-duty trucks have been equipped with selective catalytic reduction and particulate control technologies," he continued. "These active systems utilize diesel exhaust fluid to achieve near zero emissions and comply with EPA emissions requirements for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of no more than 0.20 grams per brake horsepower hour (g/BHP-hr), and particulate matter (PM) emissions levels of no more than 0.01 g/BHP-hr."
Nationwide, the newest, cleanest, near-zero-emissions diesel truck technologies now make up almost half of the more than 11 million diesel-powered commercial vehicles on U.S. roads, according to the Diesel Technology Forum’s analysis of 2020 U.S. vehicles in operation data (Class 3-8) provided by IHS Markit.
Since 2007, these newest-generation diesel trucks nationwide have eliminated 202 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 27 million tons of NOx, and saved almost 20 billion gallons of diesel and 472 million barrels of crude oil. Put into context, the emissions and fuel savings attributable to new-generation diesel engines in commercial trucks equates to making 43 million cars all-electric or creating 42,000 wind turbines on land five times the size of Washington, D.C.
By 2030, thanks to the continued increase of newest-generation diesel-powered vehicles, these savings are projected to grow to 1.3 billion tons of CO2, 47 million tons of NOx, 2.7 million tons of PM, 130 billion gallons of diesel, and 3.1 billion barrels of crude oil.
According to Vehicles in Operation Data (2019-2020) from IHS Markit, a total of 15 states are at or above the national average for the percentage of clean diesel Class 3-8 commercial vehicles (all U.S.: 49 percent), and 23 states are growing their clean diesel fleets faster than the national average (all U.S.: 6.3 percent).
Source: Diesel Technology Forum
