Daimler Truck North America said this week it has concerns about one proposed provision in the Environmental Protection Agency's amendments to the 2027 nitrogen oxide rule for heavy and medium duty engines. The company spoke at its proving ground in the High Desert of Oregon, where it introduced the Detroit 6 engine.
Company officials said the Detroit 6 already meets the new standard regardless of how the amendment process ends. The core standard due next year, which tightens NOx emissions to 0.035 grams per brake horsepower-hour from 0.2, was not part of the amendments. The comment period closed in late August.
The amendments would restore a 5-year, 100,000-mile emissions warranty in place of the longer 10-year, 450,000-mile requirement. A Daimler regulatory manager said dropping the extended warranty would have the largest bottom-line effect for customers. The proposal also replaces drastic engine slowdowns for low diesel exhaust fluid with warnings, and diesel exhaust fluid itself remains in use.
The provision Daimler questions is the non-compliance penalty, which would let an engine maker pay a fine and sell engines that miss the NOx standard. PACCAR's chief executive said on the second quarter earnings call that the fines would run about $6,000 to $7,000 per engine, compared with estimates of up to $15,000 to engineer a compliant engine.
Daimler said manufacturers that adopt the penalties for economic reasons, rather than technological ones, put the rule at risk. The Engine Manufacturers Association filed comments that also opposed the penalty option, citing the investments made by companies that built compliant engines.
Source: FreightWaves - https://www.freightwaves.com/news/daimler-concerned-about-using-cash-to-avoid-new-nox-rules