Posted by Henry Jacobs on January 04, 1999 at 16:39:02:
In Reply to: 2000 Power Wagon Update posted by Henry Jacobs on January 04, 1999 at 12:08:29:
The Dodge Power Wagon not only offers a hint of things to come for Ram pickups, but also takes
another stab at convincing regulators to give diesel a chance.
The derivative of the 1946 workhorse/military truck sports a 7.2L turbo diesel developed for the
automaker by Caterpillar. The immense powertrain, with proposed new catalyst technology from
DCC researchers and other technology, could be nearly as clean as gasoline for much better fuel
economy, Mr. Robertson says. The engine also has nearly twice as much torque as the automaker's
largest gasoline truck engine, the V-10.
The Power Wagon would burn so-called designer diesels, natural gas based fuels that have no sulfur
and thus pollute much less than conventional diesel. DCC has paired with Tulsa-based Syntroleum
Corp. to develop the new fuels.
Mr. Robertson has appealed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to consider a place for
diesel when it develops the new vehicle emission rules for 2004, coincidentally when the Power
Wagon would possibly be ready for market. The EPA is expected to release the proposed new
rules this month.