Back to the top Achates Power Fundamentally Better Engines Where to Now for Diesels? September 28, 2021 • by Jim Park • Diesel internal combustions have come a long way since Rudolph Diesel fired up the first one running on peanut oil. Experts agree there’s lots of life left in internal combustion engines.Photo: Jim Park We can be pretty sure that diesel engines will be with us for some time to come. There’s really nothing on the horizon that matches them for power density, low cost of ownership and operation, reliability, and availability of fuel, service and repair. Battery-electric and fuel-cell electric trucks are making strides, but it could be as long as a decade before they become attractive alternatives to diesel in numbers large enough to matter. Make no mistake, the industry is moving in that direction. But until then, regulators will push hard for ever-cleaner diesels. How is the industry doing in that regard? Surprisingly, well really — not that they get much credit for it. Thanks to the introduction of cleaner fuels, advanced engine technology and particulate filters, both PM (particulate matter, aka soot) and NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions have dropped by 98% since 1988. Diesel-related NOx emissions dropped by more than 40% between 2007 and 2017, while fine particle emissions (PM 2.5) from diesel engines declined by over 230,000 tons between 2008 and 2017, according to the Diesel Technology Forum. Click here to continue reading This article originally appeared in Heavy-Duty Trucking on September 28, 2021 4060 Sorrento Valley Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 +1 858.535.9920 Quick Navigate Home About Achates Purchasing Terms Privacy Policy News & Blog Resources Careers Contact Subscribe to the Achates Power Newsletter © 2020 Achates Power, Inc. All rights reserved.