The construction equipment industry has been making steady improvements in the areas of fuel efficiency and emissions ever since the EPA began regulating non-road engines in 1996. Four key advancements have enabled the gains:
- Evolution of the diesel engine
- Increased efficiency in the hydraulic system
- Better integration between engine and drivetrain
- Emerging technologies that help reduce unnecessary fuel use
AEM’s new report, Benefits of Construction Equipment Technologies and their Impact on Society, highlights the many achievements of the past several decades. Equipment manufacturers and their Tier 1 suppliers have worked collaboratively to not only meet EPA requirements for fuel efficiency and emissions, but actually exceed them.
At each stage of the EPA’s emissions mandate, the construction industry gained another 3-5% in engine efficiency. At the conclusion of the fifth and final stage, Tier 4 Final in 2015, construction equipment was now 11-15% more fuel-efficient than in 1996. Furthermore, construction equipment has seen a 96% reduction in NOx and DPM (diesel particulate matter) emissions per gallon of diesel fuel consumed. There has also been an 11-15% reduction in CO2 emissions per machine hour.
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