diesel

Think “well to wheel” around emission options

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The trucking industry has to "put on the brakes" when it comes to its thirst for diesel if it hopes to meet targets to slash Greenhouse Gas emissions, according to Wilfried Achenbach, Daimler Trucks North America's senior vice president - engineering and technology. But electric vehicles don't yet offer the answer when the steps to produce electricity are considered. Speaking at the NTEA's annual Green Truck Summit, Achenbach stressed that diesel engines continue to be the industry's "workhorse" because of their high torque and long-life, delivering 10 kwh of energy per kilogram in a format that is easy to refuel and readily available.

Diesel hit hard in Federal Excise Tax changes

TORONTO, ON - Planned changes to the Federal Excise Tax (FET) on diesel fuel would eliminate exemptions for Temperature Control Units like reefers, Auxiliary Power Units, bunk heaters, and Power Take-Off units. And that threatens annual refunds of $800 to $1,000 per tractor-trailer as of July 1, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). "I am extremely disappointed," says chairman Gene Orlick. "The decision to drop this rebate is because another industry [airlines] abused the system, making unique claims for lighting and other electricity in their operations." When the Federal Excise Tax was first added to diesel in 1982, it was only meant to be applied to transportation fuel, according to a CTA briefing note about new language in the federal budget's Notice of Ways and Means Motion.