Clean Automotive Technology. Innovation that Works SEFft United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA and Ford to Develop Clean Diesel Combustion Technology The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ford Motor Company have announced a second phase of their technology partnership to develop a new diesel emission technology called Clean Diesel Combustion (CDC). Phase II of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) will further refine the technology and examine its commercial viability. Clean Diesel Combustion, which was invented in EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, holds promise for providing another pathway for diesel engines to meet the stringent EPA Tier 2-bin 5 nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission levels. Results so far indicate that Clean Diesel Combustion may meet the new standards while maintaining the excellent fuel economy, performance, and reliability of diesel engines. Clean Diesel Combustion shows important progress towards the program goal of meeting the upcoming diesel emissions standards without additional NOx aftertreatment. Clean Diesel Combustion technology is the combination of several innovative improvements in diesel fuel injection system performance, reoptimization and refinement of air management and turbocharging systems, and an improved combustion system. Ford and EPA are making significant investments in advancing CDC technology, starting with an evaluation for diesel engines sized for the truck market. Clean, efficient, advanced technology diesel engines have the potential to reduce the nation's dependence on petroleum while meeting new exhaust emissions requirements. This is a plus for consumers who prefer diesel's performance and 25-40 percent fuel economy benefit over gasoline engines. www.epa.gov/otaq/technology January 2005 EPA420-F-05-007 ------- |