More than a few lines of code on Daily Diesel Dose have been spent discussing the emerging saga of Navistar and their non EPA 2010 compliant diesel engines. As a quick recap, Navistar was using EPA credits to continue the manufacturer of heavy duty diesel engines that did not meet revised pollution guidelines. The trouble began early this year when the supply of said credits wad exhausted. Once the credits are gone you either stop building the engines or you a pay fine of around 2,000 dollars for each one constructed. Seems like a poor business strategy but keep in mind that until last month Navistar and the EPA were battling each other in court over the 2010 emission standards, a battle the EPA eventually won. Either Navistar thought they could win or they used the extra time to design a compliant engine, the later is an actual company claim.
When I first read the title of the article linked below I thought all the builders of heavy trucks were coming together to face down the EPA and their ridiculous mandates. My hope in the world was almost restored….then I actually read the article, sadness followed. The feathers of the SCR crowd (Cummins, Volvo, Daimler) are upset with the EPA. They claim the fines imposed on Navistar are not in line with establish punishments and have gone as far as to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the fines. They feel reduced or modified fines directly encourage non complaint behavior.
Nothing like a little friendly competition right?
Source: Truck, Engine Makers Challenge EPA Fines For Navistar
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