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WITH ONE YEAR TO GO, NEW STUDY BENCHMARKS TRUCK INDUSTRY PREFERENCE FOR EPA 2010 EMISSIONS TECHNOLOGIES

Study Measuring Purchase Consideration for 2010 Technologies Shows SCR Preferred 2:1

GREENSBORO, N.C. – January 12, 2009 – With one year to go before the new EPA 2010 emissions standards for heavy duty diesel engines go into effect, a national research study conducted in November 2008 by Quixote Group Research indicates that purchase consideration for SCR (selective catalytic reduction) is nearly twice the level of increased EGR.  The online study was fielded among small and large fleet managers, owner operators and maintenance managers on behalf of the North American Heavy Duty SCR Stakeholders Group and FactsAboutSCR.com, and has a margin of error of ±3.4 percent.

When each emissions technology was briefly described, 53.4 percent of the 828 respondents said that they would likely consider SCR for their next truck purchase compared to 29.4 percent that would likely consider increased EGR (see chart 1 attached).  In fact, one-third of all respondents (33.7%) said they would only consider the purchase of SCR trucks compared to 10.2 percent that said they would only consider the purchase of trucks with increased EGR.

“Based on purchase consideration, it appears that the key benefits provided by the SCR technology, which include fuel savings and fewer active regenerations, outweigh the added step of keeping diesel exhaust fluid tanks filled,” said Chuck Mattina, president of Quixote Group Research.  “Engine OEMs committed to SCR should focus on clearly communicating these meaningful benefits to prospective buyers.  SCR is clearly the frontrunner at this point in time, and we would expect the battle to begin shifting from SCR versus increased EGR to who will have the best SCR system available on January 1, 2010.” 

The study also found that many in the trucking industry are unsure of the standards or the specific benefits provided by the two competing technologies.  According to the research:

·      60% of the respondents understand that nitrogen oxide (NOx) is specifically included in the new EPA 2010 standards (see chart 2 attached).

·      Nearly half of the respondents said that they do not know which emissions technology – SCR or increased EGR – will deliver key benefits, such as fuel savings and fewer active regenerations (see chart 3 attached).

The majority of suppliers of diesel-powered heavy duty commercial engines and vehicles, including Detroit Diesel, Daimler Trucks North America, Cummins, Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Peterbilt and Kenworth, plan to utilize SCR to meet the EPA 2010 standards, which limit NOx levels to no more than 0.2 g/bhp-hr (grams per brake horsepower-hour).  SCR emissions technology works after engine combustion, and uses diesel exhaust fluid, which will be available for sale at truck stops, to convert NOx emissions into pure nitrogen and water vapor, two natural components of the air we breathe.  Navistar is the only non-SCR supplier.  To comply with the 2010 standards, the company plans to utilize emissions credits combined with increased EGR, which is an in-cylinder approach that utilizes high-pressure fuel injection, air management and optimized combustion strategies to reduce NOx emissions.

About the study:

The online study was developed by Quixote Group Research and was designed to support the efforts of the Communications Subcommittee of the North American Heavy Duty SCR Stakeholders Group.  Sample for the study, which was fielded in November 2008, was provided by Heavy Duty Trucking magazine.  A total of 828 responses were collected, resulting in a margin of error of ±3.4%.  Final sample includes large fleet (101+ trucks) managers, small fleet (10-100 trucks) managers, owner operators of ten or fewer trucks and maintenance managers.

 www.factsaboutscr.com/documents/EPA2010researchrelease_000.pdf

About the North American SCR Stakeholders Group:

The Group represents nearly 200 public and private organizations, including government agencies, automotive and heavy-duty engine and truck manufacturers and trade associations, fuel retailers and truck stop trade associations, chemical and oil companies, diesel exhaust fluid producers, distributors and dispensing equipment manufacturers. Creating awareness for SCR as the most fuel efficient and effective emissions technologies available is one of the primary objectives for the SCR Stakeholders Group.  For more information, please visit www.FactsAboutSCR.com or www.TruckSCR.com.

About Quixote Group Research:

Based in Greensboro, N.C., Quixote Group is a strategic research and marketing firm comprised of trend and market analysts and communications specialists.  As a research-centric organization, Quixote Group specializes in building and growing its clients’ brands by developing, communicating and demonstrating their strategic value to target audiences. For more information, please visit www.quixotegroup.com. 

Technorati Tags: EPA 2010, Emissions Technologies, Quixote Group Research, SCR, FactsAboutSCR.com