Strategies for Meeting Future Harmonised Emissions Standards if Sport Utility Vehicles with Direct Injection Diesel Engines

Future emissions standards (TIER II, LEV2) require that diesel fuelled vehicles meet the same emissions levels as their gasoline counterparts. In addition, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) must comply to the same norms as passenger cars. However the diesel engine has many desirable attributes for SUV applications and an important role to play in addressing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions issues.

In-cylinder reduction of pollutants can no longer be relied upon as the major means to meet future standards. Solutions based solely on emissions control technology are also unlikely to yield positive results. The only viable solution is the combined use of in-cylinder emissions control with advanced catalyst technologies. However, a highly integrated approach is required to gain maximum benefit from the technologies used and enable very low targets to be achieved.