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Continuing ICs series of articles leading up to next month's engine emission changes, Brian O'Sullivan reports from Spain on Caterpillar's total machine solution.
CATERPILLAR spends over $4mil. every working day on research and development. This is big money, but when you consider that Cat's turnover was $20bil. last year and it markets itself on technological innovation, this sum seems somehow reasonable. The equipment giant's R&D team has been recently working to make its engines more environmentally friendly. But why? Diesel is the world's most efficient internal combustion engine, it is safe, powerful, durable, reliable - and up to 60% more fuel-efficient than gasoline or natural gas alternatives.
The answer is that Caterpillar has to clean up its engines-- all manufacturers do. The European Union, in concert with America's Environmental Protection Agency, is introducing on Jan 1st 2002 new emissions requirements (called Tier II and Stage II) for products sold in the two most lucrative markets in the world - Europe and North America. When you consider that 35% of Cat's 2000 turnover came from its engine sales, it's easy to see why the company regards...