Free Republic

California has already set itself up for future energy failures by banning the sale of new gas-powered cars starting in 2035. But now, the state has set a deadline to eliminate commercial diesel trucks as well. California is preparing to ban the sale of commercial diesel trucks by 2040 and require trucks entering ports and rail yards to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Some companies, such as Walmart and Amazon, would have until 2042 to convert their trucks to electric. California does not have the infrastructure to support such a plan, according to Chris Shimoda, the vice president of the...

Mercury Marine, the world leader in marine propulsion and technology, today introduced at the Sydney Boat Show, a new line of 3.0-liter diesel engines for sterndrive, inboard and water-jet applications, available in 150hp, 230hp and 270hp. Engineered, developed and tested over the past three years, these new engines will lead their class in several key attributes: acceleration; reliability; ease of installation and maintenance; and mitigation of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). (In Europe, the 150hp engine node and ratings were specifically designed for Venice taxis and will be available at a later date.) "We are excited to offer our customers...

ATSUGI, JAPAN -- Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co has come up with a new type of gasoline engine it says may make some of today's advanced diesel engines obsolete. The new engine uses variable compression technology, which Nissan engineers say allows it at any given moment to choose an optimal compression ratio for combustion - a key factor in the trade-off between power and efficiency in all gasoline-fuelled engines. The technology gives the new engine the performance of turbo-charged gasoline engines while matching the power and fuel economy of today's diesel and hybrid powertrains - a level of performance and...

My dilemma...tomorrow night my diesel and I will spend the night in a town where it's forecast to drop to -40F overnight.I'll have no garage,no battery charger,no oil pan heater...nothing.Does anyone have any experience with diesels at that temperature? My previous diesel once started after a night of -30F but I'm concerned about this.As on the previous occasion I plan to fill up with locally blended Shell diesel when I arrive but my car maker forbids the use of *any* fuel additives (it's still under warranty).Thanks in advance for any advice.

NY officials want older trucks fitted with emission-reducing equipment; cost put at $195M ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York is taking steps to reduce diesel emissions in its construction fleet. The Department of Environmental Conservation is floating proposed regulations requiring trucks made before 2007 to be fitted with emissions-reducing equipment and to use ultra-low-sulfur fuel by 2011. The new regulations would apply only to state-owned trucks or trucks used for state contract work. The DEC estimates it will cost $195 million to retrofit about 30,000 state trucks. The New York State

Smoky diesel exhaust billowing from the tailpipes of buses, trucks and construction equipment leads to more premature deaths, heart attacks and bouts of asthma in New York than in any other state, according to a report released yesterday by the Clean Air Task Force, an environmental group. The harmful effects of diesel exhaust were most severe in New York City, despite recent efforts to reduce noxious emissions. The study estimated that there were more heart attacks per capita connected to diesel exhaust in the city than in any other metropolitan area in the country. Diesel manufacturers contend that the study...