Adoption of the newest, cleanest diesel truck technology in the US has jumped by 6 percent in one year and now makes up more than one-third of all trucks on the road, with some states having new technology diesel in more than two-thirds of their fleets, says new research from the Diesel Technology Forum.

According to analysis by the Diesel Technology Forum of 2017 US vehicles in operation data (GVW 3-8) provided by IHS Markit, 36 percent of all commercial diesel trucks on US roads are now powered by the newest generation of diesel technologies (MY 2011 and newer), up from just 30 percent in 2016 and 25.7 percent in 2015. In comparison, about 21 percent of all commercial trucks (Class 3-8) use petrol and about 4 percent use other fuels, with natural gas amounting to less than 1 percent.

Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said that no other fuel matched what the newest generation of diesel technology continued to improve upon: efficient performance, low-emissions, reliability, durability, low-cost operation, and maximum flexibility in utilisation, routing and fuelling. He said just a 6 percent increase in the number of new-technology diesel trucks on the road has delivered important benefits in the form of cleaner air, fewer carbon dioxide emissions in the communities in which they operate, as well as dramatic fuel savings to truckers.

The IHS Markit data also found that 97 percent of Class 8 heavy-duty trucks relied on diesel fuel, with Indiana, Texas and California ranking highest in the greatest total numbers of new Class 8 heavy-duty trucks.

“Over the last decade, truck and engine manufacturers and their suppliers have fundamentally transformed diesel technology to near-zero emissions performance while also increasing its fuel efficiency,” said Schaeffer. “Diesel‘s continued dominance as the technology of choice for heavy-duty trucking reflects the technology‘s proven record of continuous improvement and low-cost operation.”