Battery electric will have to wait its turn. In the chase for reduced emissions, the government and truck and engine manufacturers aren't done refining the diesel engine.
Greenhouse Gas Phase 2 regulations will further tighten what comes out of a truck's exhaust stack effective with the 2027 model year, but with much of the low hanging emission fruit already picked, OEMs have turned to engine oil manufacturers for some help.
In 2016, oil manufacturers introduced CK-4 and FA-4 formulations that were designed to aid engine manufacturers in meeting emissions regulations for the 2017 model year. With those regulations once again tightening for the 2027 model year, the Engine Manufacturers Association in March 2021 requested the Diesel Engine Oil Advisory Panel (DEOAP) to establish a New Category Evaluation Team (NCET), and almost a year ago NCET suggested proceeding and officially kicked off the test development phase of Proposed Category – PC-12.
Joining Jason and Matt this week on CCJ's 10-44 is Shawn Whitacre, senior staff engineer with Chevron Lubricants, and he discusses what these two likely forthcoming engine formulations will mean for trucking fleets.
