ULTRA-LOW EMISSION TWO-STROKE IS THE FUTURE

An ultra-low emission two-stroke engine could prove that an IC engine is not exiting the scene in a hurry.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

Its just another day in the Texas countryside. A nondescript Peter 579 Class-eight truck is cruising down the highway without arousing much suspicion. It is fitted with an opposed piston two-stroke ultra low emission engine that could well mean that the IC engine is not over yet. At a time when heavy-duty internal combustion is frequently castigated in the shadow of zero-emission all-electric and fuel-cell powertrains, a leading non-profit clean transportation group is lavishing praise on an oil burner that has shown the ability to meet the nation’s toughest emissions standards six years ahead of schedule. South California-based CALSTART with locations in Colorado, Florida, Michigan and New York, has developed a 10.6-litre opposed piston two-stroke engine from Achates Power for the cause. Hitting the road in a Walmart fleet truck, the engine is nothing short of a mechanical miracle. The UltraLow NOx Heavy-Duty Truck Demonstrator programme that this truck is a part of, is by the California Climate Investments. CALSTART is managing the project. Its work involves collecting and analyzing emissions and performance data in the Peterbilt 579 equipped with an innovative and cost-minded two-stroke that’s designed to replace 13and 15-litre four-stoke diesels that may prove too pricey for some fleets to upgrade to meet 2027 emissions standards.