BLUETEC diesel fails to meet 50-state emissions requirement

Despite telling us back in January that its Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC would be compliant with emissions standards in all 50 states, DaimlerChrysler has announced that it has not reached that goal and the vehicle will only be sold in 45 states when it goes on sale this fall. The five states in which the E320 BLUETEC will not be sold include California, Maine, Massachussets, New York and Vermont. The high emissions standards required by these five states represent a major hurdle for any manufacturer that plans to introduce diesels-powered light-duty vehicles in the U.S. If DaimlerChrysler, a vocal proponent of diesel in the U.S., couldn't meet their requirements, we're certain it will be at least a year or two for other automakers to either convert their current diesel engines or develop all-new ones to meet the stiff requirements.

An E320 BLUTEC prototype tested by the EPA in 2004 narrowly missed meeting the EPA's new Tier 2 Bin 5 standard for 50-state compliance. When the car does arrive it will use an NOx absorber to reduce the output of the harmful emissions. Future BLUETEC models will use a urea-based injection system, which the EPA has yet to approve and regulate but promises to do so soon. Urea-based injection technology appears to be the best solution for getting diesels on U.S. soil as fast as possible, but the EPA has concerns over adding another fluid to vehicles that needs to be actively checked and refilled by the driver.

Read Article

Carboy - 8/30/2006 11:42:55 AM

+2 Boost

darn it

BMW530i - 8/30/2006 12:36:16 PM

+1 Boost

45 states isn't too bad, but I am saddened that we won't be seeing the E320 CDI Bluetec in New York. :(

Makes me wonder what our government is thinking. I mean we always talk about fuel efficiency now, yet we're doing nothing about it. Diesel powerplants in light business trucks for example are ideal. They're efficient and not filling up so often can save company's a lot of cash - even if diesel fuel is more expensive.

That said, I think states like California etc. have emission standards that simply favor gasoline-powered cars over diesel.

Maybe I should move to Europe...

1970toyotamarc - 8/30/2006 3:47:59 PM

-1 Boost

The most advanced diesel still cant meet the emissions standards. Hybrids kill on emissions. Score one more for the hybrid

BMW530i - 8/30/2006 4:04:04 PM

+3 Boost

1970toyotamarc,

Eh... our emission laws also heavily favor gasoline-powered cars. And comparing a diesel to a hybrid is one thing, but the real comparison is comparing a diesel-hybrid to a gasoline-hybrid.

BMW530i - 8/30/2006 4:13:26 PM

+3 Boost

One more thing. I suppose the Bluetec diesels failed some emission tests because our diesel fuel isn't up the standards of the Europeans.

I hear the regular E320 CDI in Europe, which comes with a particulate filter, is rated as one of the cleanest diesels and will fullfil the emission laws for the next 1.5 years if I remember correctly. Europe recently also has been setting stricter emission laws for their diesels meaning that manufacturers have to make them more environmentally friendler in the upcoming years.

Right now, your average European diesel is pretty damn clean.

kart1 - 8/30/2006 5:03:34 PM

+3 Boost

This really hurts because California and New York would have been the biggest market for those cars.

mstangpny07 - 8/30/2006 5:40:55 PM

+1 Boost

Can't they just go to Nevada or New Jersey to get them?
I've seen several E320 CDI's here in Illinois.

wwww - 8/30/2006 6:01:58 PM

+3 Boost

I agree with BMW530i, i also feel that the problems behind nearly passing those 5 state's regulation is somewhat caused by the inferior diesel grade in the US. The europeans have perfected real clean diesel, while the states are not doing much to improve their diesel.

it might be a case of gasoline companies and government propaganda. Maybe we should all watch "who killed the electric car" and " an inconvenient truth", maybe those movies can tell us about what the real issue is.

chewy - 8/30/2006 8:46:31 PM

+2 Boost

The EPA obviously seems out to get diesels. I understand that they want a system that requires no driver added liquids, but I see tons of cars that smoke/pollute because they are old. This means that many gas engiens make more pollution. For the EPA you can use your 1960s smoker, but you can't use a much cleaner diesel. Also, the EPA charges a gas guzzler tax for a car (there are few cars and they are sold in relatively low numbers) but they charge no gas guzzler tax on millions of gas guzzling SUVs and pickups (by its own table, most SUVs and pickups would have around 3,000 dollars in gas guzzler tax) It really looks like the EPA could really care less about the environment. However, I think the "issues" will be worked out soon. Expect 50 state diesels in couple of years.

BMW530i - 8/30/2006 9:34:24 PM

+1 Boost

huu76,

530i,
Do you think Europe will lower them so much that it'll prevent BMW/MB/Peuguet and whoever else from selling them? I doubt it, too many contribution kickbacks to be doing that.
--------------------------------

Lower what? I don't understand your question. ;)

urbansouljah - 8/31/2006 12:33:00 AM

+1 Boost

It's not the engines. It's the crappy diesel fuel that is sold here in the states that's the problem.

chewy - 8/31/2006 1:28:36 AM

+1 Boost

huu76

The EPA is not allowing a system that reduces emmisions on diesels. Take out the catalytic converter on any gas powered car (or any hybrid for that matter) and they will fail emmisions.

BMW530i - 8/31/2006 1:38:35 PM

+1 Boost

huu76,

Do you think Europe will make emissions so stringent that no diesels will qualify considering how much automakers over there rely on them?
--------------------------------------------

The European governments (EU) are demanding cleaner diesels on a yearly basis. This is actually a good tactic as it makes the manufacturers strive to improve diesels. However, diesels are way too popular for the EU to outright ban them. No, I don't think they'll ever be banned. ;)

Last I heard, there was a proposal to ban diesels from a lot of European cities because of a specific toxin, but so far, I've not heard how this has progressed. In many cases, these are proposals from uninformed...treehuggers. :p

Generally, most modern diesels are fairly clean, not as clean as some gas engines, but pretty clean for a diesel. I personally am optimistic that soon, diesels will be amongst one of our cleanest fuel sources. The development of particulate filters by the French has already demonstrated that cleansing diesel exhausts is possible.

TybeeZ4 - 8/31/2006 8:01:51 PM

+2 Boost

Meanwhile, every friggin bus and semi in this country is dumping tons of evil stuff into the air and they continue to operate in those "clean" states. When I was "over the pond" last month, diesels were everywhere, many more than gas engines, in BMW, Audi, Benz, etc. The biggest gas enigine was in a CL500! Even saw a diesel Chrysler 300C in Dublin!

BMW530i - 9/1/2006 5:00:18 AM

+1 Boost

huu76,

The EU has been criticized for coming up with rather unrealistic goals at times. Have you heard of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)? They still pay people who live on farm territory thousands of Euros for having olvie trees (or whatever) on their property, despite these people not being farmers. A friend of mine who moved to France has a few olive trees on his property. Every month, the mailman comes by with a cash check from the EU. Rather silly don't you think?

Anyway, the article also makes it sound as if it is the end of the line for diesels when it really isn't. The demand for diesel-powered cars is higher than ever. Most European manufacturers offer a particulate filter for their diesel models, which drastically cuts toxic outputs. However, not all diesel cars come standard with this option, especially amongst mainstream Euro brands (VW, Fiat etc.). Among the Japanese, only Toyota has a particulate filter.

msback - 9/1/2006 9:52:54 AM

+1 Boost

It is my understanding from my dealer that BLUETEC will be 50-state compliant in Model Year 2008 - not this year.