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Medium- and Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles
For most medium- and heavy-duty applications, diesel vehicles are the norm (in contrast to light-duty applications, where gasoline vehicles dominate). Although medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles are not technically "alternative fuel vehicles," they can use alternative fuel and benefit from strategies that reduce fuel use and emissions.
Medium-Duty Vehicles
Medium-duty diesel vehicles serve a wide array of applications. With gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) of about 8,500 to 26,000 pounds, they include everything from large pick-up trucks and SUVs, to small school and transit buses, to cargo vans and "short-haul" trucks. They are the backbone of many fleets and consume large quantities of fuel because of intensive use.
Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Heavy-duty diesel vehicles include long-haul trucks, large buses, and other vehicles that are heavier than 26,000 lb GVWR. These vehicles are heavy hitters in the fuel consumption arena.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel-diesel blends can be used in most medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles with no engine modification. The most common biodiesel blend is B20, which is 20% biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel. B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% diesel) is also commonly used in fleets. To learn more about this fuel, go to the Biodiesel section.
Emissions
Currently, most medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles are equipped with oxidation catalysts—which reduce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions—and particulate matter (PM) traps, which reduce emissions of PM, CO, and HC. In combination, these devices can decrease emissions of CO by 80%, HC by 90%, and PM by 98%. New emissions control devices soon will be required to meet stringent emissions standards.Learn more about diesel emissions and how technologies such as selective catalytic reduction, Diesel Exhaust Fluid, and NOx adsorbers are controlling them.
Idle Reduction
More than 13 million light- and medium-duty trucks use more than 600 million gallons per year of fuel while idling. A typical long-haul tractor-trailer idles 1,830 hours per year, resulting in more than 800 million gallons of annual fuel consumption nationwide.
Similar Posts:
- Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles
- Diesel Vehicles
- Low-Level Biodiesel Blends
- Biodiesel Emissions
- The Benefits of Biodiesel
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