LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 1, 2005) — Caterpillar announced it’s officially going its own way in meeting a tougher round of EPA-mandated emissions regulations in 2007.

Caterpillar says it will use its proprietary ACERT technology to comply with the ’07 EPA emissions requirements. Unlike most other engine makers which will expand on cooled-EGR technology originally used to meet the Oct. ’02 emission regs, Cat’s ’07 solution will use existing ACERT technology along with closed crankcase ventilation, a diesel particulate matter (PM) filter and a new Clean Gas Induction (CGI) enhanced combustion process.

The company says engines with 500 hp or less will need one PM filter, while engines with more horsepower will need two. The CGI focuses on NOx reduction by drawing clean, inert gas from downflow of the PM filter, cooling it and putting it in the air intake system, the company says.

While making the announcement at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. this week, Cat couldn’t help taking some shots at colled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) as a solution for ’07 — claiming that its own internal tests show acid and soot build-up in EGR engines can ruin components and reduce engine life. The company also pledged its ACERT engines will provide up to 4 percent improved fuel economy, provided operators drive and spec the truck correctly, while EGR is expected to take a fuel economy penalty.

Of course, engine makers using EGR deny the allegations, adding that the new ’07 EGR engines are already proven and have only been slightly modified while Cat’s new ACERT engines have gotten more complicated by needing to add additional components.

Also, despite Cat’s long-time insistence that the new ACERT engines would not use cooled EGR, Cat’s CGI technology is actually a version of exhaust gas recirculation, where exhaust gas is drawn from downstream of the diesel particulate filter and returned to the engine upstream of the twin turbos and aftercooler.

Cat has also strayed from the pack on the subject of 2010 regulations. Some engine makers are rumoured to be experimenting with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) — the technology utilized in Europe. However, Cat recently issued a warning to the industry about SCR, claiming the system is not the best solution for on-highway applications in North America.

Meanwhile, Cat also officially announced it is developing a complete line of fully automatic, planetary transmissions designed specifically for vocational applications. As TodaysTrucking.com reported several weeks ago, Cat will begin production later this year, with availability in 2006. The new vocational on-highway transmissions are based on existing transmissions that have proven themselves in Caterpillar, off-highway applications.

The six-speed CX31 transmission will be compatible with Caterpillar C11, C13 and C15 engines. The eight-speed super-heavy-duty CX35 transmission will match up with higher horsepower C15 ratings for on-highway vocational trucks.