Although light-duty diesel vehicles are not technically "alternative fuel vehicles," they can run on biodiesel, an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Biodiesel, which is mainly used as a blend, can be used in most light-duty diesel vehicles with no engine modification. The most common biodiesel blend is B20, which is 20% biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel. B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% diesel) is also commonly used in fleets. To learn more about this fuel, go to the Biodiesel section or the Alternative Fueling Station Locator.
Light-duty vehicles are those that have less than a 8,500 lbs gross automobile vehicle weight rating. They include sedans, pickup trucks, high-performance automobile sports cars, and passenger vans. For a list of available options, see the Automobile Diesel Technology Forum Web site.
Emissions
Currently most light-duty diesel vehicles are equipped with oxidation catalysts that reduce carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, and many have particulate matter (PM) traps that reduce PM emissions as well as CO, and HC emissions. In combination these devices can decrease CO by 80%, HC by 90% and PM by 98%.
Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) fuel emission are mostly controlled through advanced Automobile combustion strategies, such as, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). In order to meet future emission standards automobile emission control devices, such as, lean NOx traps (LNT) or selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which uses ammonia in the form of automobile urea as a reductant, may be needed on some vehicles to meet these emission standards. These devices can reduce NOx by 70-80%.
Clean Diesel
Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)—which is called "clean diesel" when used in conjunction with advanced fuel emission control devices—is available at fueling stations nationwide and can be used in any diesel vehicle. This automobile fuel reduces the sulfur content in diesel fuel by 97%. Europe has used ULSD for several years. The United States began its changeover to ULSD in June 2006, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated that 80% of highway automobiel diesel fuel produced or imported contain 15 ppm or less sulfur. For more information, see the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance.
The Federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Tax Credit provision of EPAct 2005 includes a tax credit for lean-burn diesel vehicles. The credit is sometimes referred to as the Clean Diesel Tax Credit and is effective January 1, 2006, however, no 2006 or 2007 diesel vehicles met the fuel emissions requirements for credit. No 2008 automobile vehicles have been certified as qualifying for the credit. Diesel vehicles up to 6,000 lbs that meet EPA Tier II Bin 5 emission requirements will be eligible for the credit and automobile diesel vehicles weighing 6,001-8,500 lbs must meet Tier II Bin 8 requirements. Manufacturers will certify that their automobile vehicles meet the emissions requirements with EPA. The IRS must then issue a notice that the automover vehicle qualifies for the tax credit before consumers or commercial businesses can claim the credit. There are other IRS requirements to claim the credit. Watch www.irs.gov for more information.
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