Questions surround the future of off-highway emissions regulations.
The imbalance of the North American and European markets legislation is causing concern for global OEMs and technology suppliers.
Since the introduction of Tier 4 Final emissions standards in the USA (which requires emissions of NOx and PM to be reduced by approximately 90% the US off-highway equipment market has begun moving from a period of development into a period of application according to Integer Research.
The ‘7th Integer Emissions Summit USA 2014’ set to take place on the 28-30 October 2014 in Chicago, will be covering this and other issues, including emissions reduction, fuel efficiency policies for off-highway equipment and technology strategies to meet these requirements.
Integer also notes that, although the European Commission is pushing ahead with plans for Stage V legislation, and CARB also considering lower emissions standards, as yet there as has been no move towards considering the next phase of federal standards in the USA.
The imbalance in legislation, coupled with consumer pressure, is causing issues for global OEMs. With customers pushing for better fuel economy and GHG reduction and legislation likely to continue to focus on emissions, OEMs may be forced to choose between consumers’ wants and legislation needs.
The introduction of the Tier 4 Final emissions standards has also caused old, non-compliant US equipment to be sold overseas where the high sulphur content in the fuel can easily damage the machinery, according to Integer. This has led to leading OEMs offering ‘de-tiering’ kits to solve the issue.