PORTLAND, OR - Detroit Diesel Corporation's high performance, fuel efficient family of engines, including the DD13, DD15, and DD16 with the BlueTec emissions control system, has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as meeting 2010 emissions regulations, the most stringent standards in the world. The BlueTec system was developed by Detroit Diesel to meet the specific needs of North American trucking. It uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce emissions to near-zero levels.

In addition to meeting the 2010 emissions standards without the use of credits, Detroit Diesel's new BlueTec system improves engine efficiency and operations. Based on extensive testing, these improvements have been proven to consistently deliver fuel economies up to 5 percent over 2007 engines, bringing value to customers while reducing production of greenhouse gases (CO2) and reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Prior to certification, the Detroit Diesel engine line with BlueTec had completed more than 28 million equivalent miles of testing, including one and a half million miles of real world freight hauling experience by customers - making it one of the most proven, tested emissions reduction technologies ever.

"We received 2010 certification on December 30^th and have already loaded our first batch of production engines on the line in our Redford, Michigan engine facility. The 2010 certification is a great way to start the year," said David Hames, general manager, marketing & strategy, Daimler Trucks North America. "But, more than that, we are pleased to further improving on our advanced family of engines that is already proven to meet our customers' need for performance, fuel economy, durability and reliability."

"We took full advantage of our early choice of SCR as the best technology for our customers for 2010. In addition to our rigorous internal testing, the extra time allowed for completion of more than one and a half million miles of real world testing under North American freight hauling conditions as part of our customer demonstration program before BlueTec is being introduced to the commercial market," Hames added. "The technology offers a paradigm shift from fuel penalties to fuel economies with simultaneous reduction of emissions and CO2, compared to
today's EGR-only vehicles."  

BlueTec, Daimler's version of SCR emissions control technology, was adapted by Detroit Diesel Corporation to meet the specific demands of the North American heavy duty marketplace and represents the company's latest innovation in clean diesel engine technology to be fully-developed and commercialized.

Allowing more than a decade for development, the 2010 BlueTec technology is one of the most extensively tested emissions technology systems in the company's history. Detroit Diesel and Daimler Trucks North America worked together to apply the best of Daimler's experience with both SCR and EGR. The extra time allowed for customer validation and performance refinement to meet the requirements of rigorous freight hauling as well as severe duty vocational applications. In addition, Detroit Diesel took a leadership role in the development of the new supply infrastructure for diesel exhaust fluid and on board diagnostic sensor technologies that are distinctive to North American trucking.  

BlueTec is an aftertreatment system that uses diesel exhaust fluid in a catalyst to virtually eliminate nitrogen oxide emissions, thereby allowing the engine to be fully optimized for both low emissions and high fuel economy. The system incorporates the enhanced performance of Detroit Diesel's recently introduced DD15, DD13 and DD16 big bore engines, as well as the already proven ACRS fuel system and an integrated engine-compression brake. Detroit Diesel will offer BlueTec technology in a variety of packaging configurations, including a unique 1-Box packaging design that is optimized for low back-pressure and uses an all-new, robust diesel particulate filter material.