Diesel engines represent the backbone of the industrial transportation force.  While a majority of consumer vehicles use gasoline, engines that use diesel are generally more reliable, have longer operational lifetimes, are more efficient, and provide higher torque.  However, despite these advantages, the fact remains that diesel engines emit toxic particles into the environment.  Various studies have shown that the pollutants originating from the exhaust of diesel engines contributes to smog, acid rain, and health problems.  Thankfully, these negative side effects can be reduced through retrofitting, a procedure that limits the amount of emissions made by diesel engines.

How does a diesel emission retrofit work?

A typical diesel emissions retrofit adds an emission control device to the engine of a diesel-reliant vehicle.  These devices are designed to remove harmful emissions from the engine’s exhaust, preventing them from entering the environment.  Depending on the type of retrofit, this procedure can also include a number of operations performed on the engine to gain certain advantages including longer engine life, more fuel efficiency, and acceptance of alternative fuel sources like bio-diesel or natural gas.  In order to institute any of these changes, vehicles must be brought into a qualified mechanic, but the retrofit itself takes only a day or two to complete.

Why should you retrofit your fleet?

Since diesel engines are so long lived, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to switch out an entire fleet’s worth of vehicles to keep up with changing emissions regulations.  There can be a lot of potential still left in older diesel vehicles, despite the fact that their engines might not be as clean.  Retrofitting the older vehicles in a fleet can be a cost-effective way to reduce the amount of emissions your fleet is making without having to replace vehicles entirely.

If you have problems ensuring that your fleet stays within emissions regulations, consider retrofitting.

photo credit: Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection via photopin cc