Detroit Diesel DD15™ Engine at SAE Government and Industry Meeting

New Fuel Efficient, Reduced-Emission Engine Incorporates Technologies Developed in Collaboration with the Department of Energy 21st Century Truck Partnership



WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 12, 2008 – In a display that exemplifies the Department of Energy’s vision for its 21st Century Truck Partnership to encourage development of new ways to move freight while reducing pollution and dependency on foreign oil, Detroit Diesel today showcased several of the partnership program’s results now commercialized and integrated into the DD15™, a completely new “clean sheet” heavy-duty diesel engine and the first to be successfully introduced to the North American market in over a decade.



Detroit Diesel’s new DD15 engine exhibits revolutionary logic and processes that deliver significant value through fuel economy and overall life cycle cost improvement, while maintaining power and performance.



Built with the upcoming EPA 2010 standards in mind, the DD15 is an EPA ’07-certified engine that relies on a specialized after-treatment device to prevent the emission of harmful particulates into the atmosphere.



Contributing factors that led to the early success of the DD15 were developed through earlier work in diesel particulate filtration and regeneration.



Key methodologies for controlling the physical and chemical processes that occur during particulate aftertreatment soot capture and regeneration were developed by Detroit Diesel with the cooperation, collaboration and support of DOE-funded, 50 percent cost-shared programs.



“Heavy-duty trucks and buses consume 2.9 million barrels of petroleum per day, and account for 25 percent of the surface transportation fuel use,” said Alexander Karsner, DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “We applaud the spirit of innovation that contributed to creating a new generation of engine technology that can meet current and future emission regulations while meeting our shared and immediate goals for significant reduction in fuel consumption.”



“Fuel economy is the single most important development target for our engines. We are looking forward to continuing technical collaboration with the DOE in developing and bringing to market new technologies that help meet the US national goal of reduced petroleum consumption”, said Bernard Heil, head of Daimler Truck’s Engine Development.



“The DD15 is the first in a family of new worldwide heavy-duty engines from Daimler Truck being jointly developed by engineering teams in Germany, Japan and the U.S.A.,” Heil added. “The technology is being introduced first to the North American market by Detroit Diesel, and we are proud to have participated with the DOE on technology development programs, fully recognizing the value of this collaborative partnership to the technical advancements incorporated into our new products.”



Assistant Secretary Karsner added, “the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, through the Office of Vehicle Technologies, has partnered with several diesel engine manufacturers to develop advanced technologies in the areas of combustion, emission control and system integration. It is rewarding to see real examples of outcomes of these projects, such as these we see today, being incorporated in the brand new DD15 engines from Detroit Diesel. These innovations offer long-reaching and positive implications for surface transportation fuel use in this country.”



About the DD15

The DD15’s after-treatment system uses advanced technology to capture soot through a particulate filter. Temperature control across all system components also plays a major role in the after-treatment system and ultimately overall engine efficiency.



Innovation leading to development of the DD15 also led the company to announce a series of enhancements to the diesel particulate filter regeneration process for the EPA ‘07 version of Detroit Diesel’s venerable Series 60® engine.



These enhancements will deliver up to a 2.5 percent reduction in fuel consumption by the EPA ’07 Series 60 engines already on the road. In addition, development of the DD15 led to other areas of engine technology advancements including: Detroit Diesel’s new ACRS, Turbo Compound System and integrated Jacobs Brake.



To find out more about Detroit Diesel, visit www.detroitdiesel.com.



Detroit Diesel Corporation is a leading manufacturer of on-highway diesel engines for the commercial truck market. Headquartered in Redford, Mich., Detroit Diesel Corporation is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of these products, in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid engine strategies for the commercial truck marketplace. Detroit Diesel Corporation is a Daimler company.