FENTON, Michigan — Several Webasto products have met or out-performed Californias new standards for air quality, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.

Webastos products are among the earliest anti-idle devices to receive approval for the California Air Resources Boards (CARB) new ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) idling emissions reduction requirements.

Approved heaters include the Webasto Air Top 2000 S and Air Top 2000 ST compartment air heaters and Thermo Top Z/C (TSL 17) engine coolant pre-heater. A fourth Webasto product, BlueCool Truck, which provides cold air to cool a trucks bunk in hot weather, did not need review because it has no emissions.

In one category, particulate matter output was so low that you could theoretically park 20 Class 8 trucks outfitted with Webasto Air Top 2000 S Heaters next to each other and the combined emissions would still meet the CARB requirements for just one truck, Don Kanneth, general manager of Webastos commercial vehicle division said of the tests. We had other emission categories that tested even better.

The new regulation requires that all fuel-operated heaters must meet the new rules for any Class 3-8 equipped truck registered in California and those entering its state borders. As of Jan. 1, no truck will be allowed to idle more than five minutes (in non-traffic situations) in the Golden State. Because a main goal is to limit engine idling during mandatory rest-time for drivers, the new regulation expands beyond fuel-operated heaters to Auxiliary Power Units and any system which produces emissions during the shutdown period.