November 2, 2004
Japanese, European, and US Heavy-Duty-Vehicle and Engine manufacturers agree to work toward harmonized global regulations to achieve cleaner air.
Makuhari, Japan, 2 November 2004. Chief executives of the world’s leading Manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles and engines from Japan, Europe, and the UnitedStates met today to discuss the challenges facing the industry.
The 2nd Global Commercial Vehicle Meeting, chaired by Hino Motors Chairman Mr.Tadaaki Jagawa, follows last year's inaugural meeting in Amsterdam. Today’s discussions focused on identifying the policies and actions needed to continue the substantial progress already made in reducing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles worldwide into the next decade.
In today’s meeting, the executives emphasized the significance of advanced environmental performance, safety, and efficiency of road transport and agreed that cooperation among industry, government, and vehicle users is key to making additional progress on these issues.
Participants agreed that government authorities should recognize the importance of internationally harmonized regulations and test procedures as a means to promote the rapid introduction and deployment of cost-effective new technologies to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and promote safer vehicles in the future.
As a result of today’s meeting, vehicle and engine manufacturers reconfirmed their commitment to cooperate in promoting the global harmonization of government regulations.
Future Technologies Discussed
Summit participants recognized that industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. However, additional efforts and technology development are necessary to meet the increasingly more stringent emissions requirement being implemented in Europe, Japan and the US.
Manufacturers face a significant challenge to meet those accelerated emissions reductions over the next decade but believe that the use of advanced fuels integrated with sophisticated electronic technology, advanced combustion techniques, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and aftertreatment systems will result in meeting these very stringent emissions requirements. Different aftertreatment systems will be used, such as – Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) with urea as a reagent and NOx Storage Reduction (NSR).
To meet future requirements combinations of these technologies are needed.
At the conclusion of the Makuhari meeting, the global commercial vehicle and engine manufacturers agreed to continue working together and issued the following statements:
- Recognizing that high quality, Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel Fuel (ULSD) is a prerequisite to the use of aftertreatment technologies needed to achieve future emissions reductions and that significantly lower diesel emissions are achievable throughout the world if ULSD was available on a global basis, participants agreed to investigate the prospects of establishing global fuel regulations to support the universal availability of high quality fuels.
Participants also recognized that diesel fuels to meet global performance specifications such as the Worldwide Fuel Charter will enhance customer satisfaction and ensure engine performance.
- Intercountry differences in exhaust emissions limit values and test methods create inefficiencies by forcing manufacturers to develop, manufacture, and certify engines and vehicles to different regulations in each country.
International harmonization of regulations creates substantial benefits for governments, manufacturers, and consumers by allowing the cost-effective development and implementation of new technologies that can be used throughout the world.
Meeting participants agreed to increase efforts to promote global harmonization of emissions standards and testing methods through a dialog with governments across the globe.
- Participants specifically support the ongoing efforts of the United Nations Economic Commission of Europe (UN-ECE) to develop harmonized emissions testing methods and regulations including emissions levels of non-test modes (off-cycle emissions) and OBD (On Board Diagnostics) failure diagnosis regulations.
Such efforts should be completed within the framework of the UN-ECE programs with the early and universal adoption of these procedures by individual countries.
- As a response to the latest initiatives of the UN, WBCSD, World Bank, WHO and other bodies, the participants agreed to analyze the potential for Heavy Duty Vehicles manufacturers to contribute to the enhancement of Global Road Safety.
In support of the above identified initiatives the participants further agreed to establish four jointly supported Working Groups with focus on the following Subjects:
Global fuel regulations
National application of the WHDC procedures
After treatment technology
Global Road Safety
Members and staff of The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) as well as the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) of the United States participated in this second meeting.
Future meetings to continue cooperative efforts on international issues are planned for 2005 in the U.S.
