Bendix Commends President Obama's Efforts To Reduce Emissions

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a North American developer and manufacturer of leading-edge active safety, energy management, and braking system technologies, praised President Barack Obama's announcement establishing the nation's first-ever greenhouse gas emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles is the result of a joint effort between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The final rule - released on Aug. 9 - establishes standards which will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase fuel efficiency in commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2018.

The new standards will reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption 7 to 20% in affected vehicles by 2018, compared with 2010 baseline measurements. Vocational vehicles, such as buses, delivery trucks, and fire engines must reduce emissions and fuel consumption by 10%.

"Bendix applauds the efforts of President Obama, NHTSA, and the EPA for their actions to create a cleaner environment," says Joe McAleese, Bendix president and CEO. "Protecting the environment for future generations is everyone's responsibility. Bendix is helping that effort through innovative thinking, and a firm commitment to the design and engineering of effective, affordable technologies that will help accomplish the established goal of reduced greenhouse gases and improved fuel economy, plus provide long-term value in terms of environmental responsibility."

Bendix offers a range of product solutions - including air management and other technologies - to help OEMs and fleets meet the new standards established by the EPA and NHTSA (also known as the Heavy Duty National Program) while, at the same time, delivering space/weight savings and enhanced vehicle performance.

The Bendix PBS Air Injection Booster, Bendix Electronic Air Control (EAC) Dryer, and Bendix Turbo-Clutch Air Compressor work together to maximize engine efficiency and improve emissions. A commercial vehicle operating with all three components can realize more than 5% in fuel savings. Further savings are possible when the PBS Air Injection Booster is combined with transmission and drivetrain optimizations.

"Bendix PBS air injection improves fuel economy and reduces emissions with no sacrifice to engine power and performance," says Steve Mance, Bendix vice president and general manager for the Charging business group. "In fact, Bendix PBS increases engine performance, and our customers will see a significant ROI when they integrate all three air management components into their drivetrain."

According to Mance, the Bendix air management system incorporates total air management solutions that help lessen the overall financial burden on the vehicle owners and improve the efficiency of the vehicles they operate.

Bendix Wingman Advanced - A Collision Mitigation Technology helps contribute to reduced fuel usage. Designed to deliver driver-friendly, forward collision warning and mitigation using full vehicle and braking system integration, the system can help drivers take advantage of cruise control longer, resulting in fuel savings as high as 10%, depending on fleet operations.

The SmarTire tire pressure monitoring system by Bendix CVS is yet another solution that can deliver fuel savings. SmarTire monitors the pressure and temperature of each tire on a commercial vehicle to provide real-time, temperature-compensated tire pressure information to the driver or maintenance technician. By helping drivers keep commercial vehicle tires at proper inflation levels up to an additional 2% in fuel savings may be realized.

And finally, air disc brakes can increase fuel efficiency by reducing vehicle weight. To meet the reduced stopping distance (RSD) rules that took effect Aug. 1, 2011, trucks using foundation drum brakes will require wider and heavier brakes. Trucks equipped with Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes can offer a weight savings - up to 60 pounds per truck - compared with the wider drum brakes, while still meeting RSD standards.