Enginemakers gear up for U.S. light truck diesel boom

Promises of double the fuel economy of current gasoline engines have put new diesel engines into a number of North American light truck product plans. America's major diesel enginemakers have new ranges of smaller, cleaner, quieter turbodiesels in the works. They include: * Navistar: Long-term diesel engine supply deal with Ford New range of light huck te.sels includes a large-cisplaument (over 5.0L) 24-valve VT and an upgraded version of the current 7.3L `Powerstroke" VE. Expected volume for Ford is 100,000 units when production begins in 2003, with cty for 300,000 engines by 2006. Pr may

include anew fuel injecion Em, from Diesel Technologies. Navistar contin ues to develop its "camless" tech no for later in the decade (se Mar 8AI,p.56). Cummins: New family of modular V turbodiesels, with direct-inection, four valves per cylinder and cast-iron cylinder blocks, for Chrysler's light truck fleet. Centerpiece of the range is a 4.0L dohc V- with single turbocharger, that will be in most of its light trucks. Introduction is expected in 2002.

GM: Also has light truck VX and V-8 turbodiesels in development, "at displacements above and below the current 6.5L V8," says an insider. The first are due in year 2000. Manufacturing capacity will come from a new GM-Isuzu plant in Moraine, Ohio, due to be started in late spring. Capacity is expected to be over 300,000 engines per year.

DDC and Caterpillar. DDC is far along in developing new ranges of car and light truck diesels (see Feb. '98AI, p.1), a market that vice chairman lim Leuliette sees growing at over 15% annually through the early 2000s. But DDC currently has no highvolume outlet for diesels in North America Caterpillar is in a similar situation It began, and then killed, a 4.0L V-6 diesel program last year, say analysts familiar with the company But Cat owns Perkins, a major light diesel supplier in the U.K and Europe, and could utilize that company's resources for the North American market