With Emissions Behind Them, Manufacturers Target Fuel Economy
Now that heavy-equipment manufacturers are closing the hood on a decade-long overhaul to meet stringent diesel-emission limits, known as Tier 4, research-and-development budgets are shifting to make those cleaner-burning—and more expensive—engines more efficient.
“We have customers coming in and trading in older machines because of what they can save with fuel efficiency,” said Paolo Fellin, Caterpillar’s vice president of global construction and infrastructure at its Tinaja Hills Demonstration and Training Facility, near Tucson, Ariz.