Emission Standards? What Standards?

Winnipeg Free Press › August 27, 2009

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Summary

Even in the United States, there is little in common. The Environmental Protection Association (EPA) sets different standards than the California Air Research Board (CARB). California emission standards are the tightest, where vehicles must meet Tier 2 Bin 5 standards, and thirteen other States will adopt these standards by 2012. Currently, British Columbia and Quebec are also interested in adopting these standards. Meanwhile, the rest of the U.S and Canada are using the EPA standards, which are currently at Tier 2 Bin 8 level. For those not familiar with emissions standards, Tier 2 standards are more strict than Tier 1 standards were in the past. Each Tier is divided into 11 Bin numbers, with the lower numbers indicating less emissions than a higher Bin number.

Finally, there is good news. There is technology available that enable vehicles to increase fuel economy and decrease emissions at the same time. Direct fuel injected gasoline engines can either operate on a homogenous air/fuel mixture such as they do now, where the mixture is equal throughout the charge, or they can operate on a more efficient stratified charge mode. The stratified charge mode does require ultra low sulfur gasoline, which is not available everywhere, including most places in North America. Once better quality gasoline becomes available, just as ultra low sulfur diesel is now available, the auto manufacturers can give us better fuel economy. The manufacturers have stated their case -- the demand will come from consumers. Automobiles are much more efficient in emissions reductions than general industry, but they can become even better with a common set of worldwide regulations and better fuel in the pumps.