Boshart Engineering

Fleet owners getting clear on new CARB credits with online tool from Boshart and Econix

2011-01-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fleet owners getting clear on new CARB credits with online tool from Boshart and Econix

Ontario, California (January 27, 2011) – California diesel fleet owners have a new tool to decipher new credit amendments to the On-Road Truck and Bus Regulation and potentially cut their retrofit costs in half.

Boshart Engineering, Inc. (BE), the North American distributor of Econix diesel emissions products, released its online “2-for-1 Eligibility Tool” on Friday, making it easy for fleet owners to see if they are eligible for a new retrofit credit under the regulation.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced the amendments earlier this month, partly to relieve recession-affected diesel truck fleets suffering from high compliance costs.

But the qualifications for receiving the credits are complex and can require knowledgeable calculation, says Ken Boshart, President of Boshart Engineering, Inc.

“We’ve been seeing lots confusion out there,” says Boshart. “What better way to serve our fleet owners than to provide a tool that can give them a clear answer about how they can benefit from this new credit.”

Fleets can save up to 50% on compliance costs

The free online tool from Boshart and Econix tells fleet owners if they are eligible for the “2-for-1 credit,” which allows fleets to save up to 50% on the cost of retrofitting two vehicles or more, but only if they also meet very specific requirements.

Since CARB’s 2-for-1 credit can provide financial relief for hundreds fleets, it is important to understand all the details of the amendment. For example, if one DPF is installed, the fleet will receive credit for the retrofitted truck and a second retrofit credit that can be applied to another qualifying vehicle without having to buy a second DPF.

Fleet owners should understand all the details

Fleet owners must order and pay for their DPFs by May 1, 2011 in order to take advantage of the credit. Specific restrictions apply: quickly approaching deadlines for purchase and installation, size of fleet, reporting, vehicle specs, vehicle weight and more.

Boshart Engineering, the North American distributor of the Econix DPF-A, has provided CARB compliance services for over a decade, making the 2-for-1 Eligibility Tool a logical extension of its business.

The free 2-for-1 Eligibility Tool can be found online at www.econixusa.com/2for1. Fleet owners use this tool to enter all of their fleet/vehicle information and Econix representatives work with them to quickly and easily help determine their eligibility.

Boshart Engineering recommends fleet owners check their eligibility first before making any purchasing decisions based on the 2-for-1 DPF retrofit credit.

Boshart Engineering is the North American distributor of Econix diesel emission products and is also a provider of automotive compliance and testing services since 1999.

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To receive more information on the regulation, 2-for-1 credit or the 2-for-1 Eligibility Tool, contact Econix & Boshart Engineering representatives Glenda Chavez or Jason Rain at 1-877-432-6649 x. 1. More information is also available on the Econix website: www.econixusa.com and www.econixusa.com/2for1

Man Vs. Machine: The Advantages of Humans

2010-12-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

When testing vehicles for durability and mileage requirements we always come back to the reason we test so thoroughly—the customer. The reason we test, test and test a vehicle is, after all, the end consumer’s safety and enjoyment of the vehicle. Over the past decade we have noticed the pros and cons of testing a vehicle through the use of an dynamometer and other mechanical testing devices versus real-world, real driver testing. Both methods are a great way to evaluate a given vehicle, however, many vehicle testing providers omit the human element.

While mechanized testing, such as a dynamometer, can produce excellent testing and calibration results; it falls short when factors like drivability come into play. While a machine can pump out facts and figures, a human being will tell you whether or not, for instance, the cab is cramped or if there’s a rattle in the dashboard. As with any product, the manufacturer strives to keep their target market in mind. In this case, if a vehicle passes durability and mileage tests, but the cab is just uncomfortable or the controls are counterintuitive it may hurt the sales of the given vehicle. Real-world, driver testing can help avoid this problem.

At Boshart Engineering (BE), we offer a variety of testing options. We realize that our customers’ reputation is on the line as they bring a new vehicle to market. Therefore, we are committed to thorough vehicle testing, both in the lab and on the road. Our on-road driver/technicians perform drive cycles based on the specific testing needs of each vehicle. From high altitude to inclement weather, our driver/technicians along with on-board data collection systems provide the statistics and human experience necessary to provide well-rounded testing reports.

Some of our expert on-road testing services include:

Emission system durability—exposure to real-world driving patterns and conditions
Full useful life testing of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system
Brake and tire testing
Passenger comfort systems
Vehicle exposure to extreme conditions such as heat, cold, altitude, vibration, dust, sand, etc.
Powertrain and Transmission
Component evaluation

Are you getting the thorough testing results you need? Do you want your vehicle to exceed customer expectations? We can help you get there. Please contact us for information on our complete vehicle testing services.

Electric Vehicle Testing

2010-11-29T13:37:00.000-08:00

Developing an electric vehicle is an exciting experience, though some parts of it are rather tedious. To avoid the costly possibility of recalls it is important to do due diligence in component testing and data analysis. Not only does this reduce the likelihood of a recall of components or the entire vehicle, it ensures more end-customer satisfaction.

We know how important testing and data analysis are to ensure a great product and we can take the annoying task of data analysis and the grunt work of cycle testing and component testing off your back. Not only do we have vast testing and EPA and CARB compliance experience at Boshart Engineering, we also bring you the unique knowledge that is gained through building and integrating electric vehicles.

Let us support your development with:

Real world cycle testing

          o Over the road

          o Hot/Cold environment

          o Hill climbs/descents

          o Noise, Vibration and Harshness data acquisition

          o Ideal for battery pack, HEV/EV powertrain, and controls reliability verification

CARB/EPA verification testing

o Emissions

o OBD

Data analysis

          o Emissions data

          o Cycle data

          o NVH data

          o Reliability data

Let us do the testing, so you can focus on the bigger picture. Feel free to check out our Boshart Electric vehicles here.

Proposed National Regulation of Fuel Economy Aims to Provide Standard Regulations Nationwide

2010-10-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

In May of this year, President Obama catalyzed a new proposal to reduce greenhouse gases and increase fuel efficiency standards for medium to heavy-duty trucks. Taking the lead, the National Highway National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have proposed the first national regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy in the commercial vehicle segment.

"...by setting a single standard in place, rather than a tangle of overlapping and uncertain rules, auto companies will have the clear incentive to develop more efficient vehicles.." -President Obama, May 21, 2010, Remarks by the President at Signing of Presidential Memorandum on Fuel Efficiency Standards

A wide variety of medium and heavy-duty trucks will be subject to this proposed rule, from fire trucks to cement mixers. Each segment will be organized by vehicle weight categories.

Factors the new proposal most important to manufacturers:

National program - uniform standards
Plenty of lead time - given the size of the market and varied vehicles, ample time will be allotted for comopliance
Safety considerations - testing of varying solutions will be important
Continuity in standards from both agencies -- EPA and NHTSA working together
Market compatibility - solutions that accommodate the unique needs of each vehicle market must be considered

For more detailed information on this proposal visit the following sites:

For vehicle testing services please visit our vehicle testing section of BoshartEngineering.com.

What do you think about this new regulation? Please leave your comments below.

Paris Auto Show Electric & Hybrids

2010-10-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Paris Auto Show (Oct. 2-17, 2010) is buzzing with new hybrid/electric vehicles. From Honda's Fit Hybrid to Lotus' 650hp Esprit (which is technically a hybrid) there are many exciting developments in the industry.
Here's a video on Nissan's Townpod, hmmm, what do you think?

Check out more photos and info at AutoNews.com: http://www.autonews.com/article/20101011/OEM03/310119978/1130

Conventional Engines Show Well at Paris Auto Show

2010-10-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Franz-Josef Paefgen of Germany,
President of Bugatti Automobiles
S.A.S, delivers a speech as he presents the new,
Bugatti Veyron Supersport during a preview for
Photo from Komonews.com

It’s a given these days that the hybrids and electric vehicles are popular features at major auto
shows, however, conventional gasoline vehicles are showing some valid selling points. At the Paris Auto Show automakers demonstrate that their new gas and diesel models have emissions efficiency very close to their hybrid counterparts. Automakers showcase their new smaller vehicles that feature highly efficient combustion technology.

Automakers are attempting to squeeze as much as they can out of conventional engines before the market eventually shifts to hybrids/electrics. This is producing higher efficiency combustion engines that prove to be a more cost effective solution for automakers and consumers alike.

To read more check out the Komonews.com article online: “At Paris Auto Show, conventional engines still going strong”

Top 8 Tips for Improving Your Fuel Economy

2010-09-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

1. Take a Chill Pill

It turns out aggressive and generally aggravated driving can really come back and hit you in the pocketbook. All that quick accelerating and decelerating during freeway driving is slurping down 33% more of your gasoline according to www.fueleconomy.gov ! So maybe get out the door early and skip the "makes-me-want-to-speed" double espresso shot till you get to work.

2. Maintain Your Ride

Proper care that follows your car's prescribed maintenance schedule is key to keeping your fuel usage in the optimal range. Clogged filters or faulty spark plugs can adversely affect your gas mileage; so tune 'er up!

3. No Junk in Your Trunk

This is an obvious one that a lot of us forget to think about: excess weight will take extra gas to haul around. Extra weight, that means those golf clubs in your car, or the three kids seats for when your grandkids visit! Take them out! Also, a roof rack will not only add weight but also drag, decreasing your car's gas mileage even more. Not going camping? Take the rack off your car.

4. Wash Your Car

Yes, seriously. All that dirt creates drag not only is it a drag that your car looks so bad, but it also takes more power to push the vehicle through the air. At Stretcher.com engineer Tom Wagner, Jr. reported a 7-percent improvement in fuel economy, from 15 to 16 mpg, during a 1,600-mile road trip with his fancy-schmancy clean car.

5. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

I bet you've heard this one before, and it's still true. In fact, California passed a law set to commence Sept. 1, 2010, that all automotive service providers are required to check and inflate each vehicle's tires to the recommended tire pressure rating, with air or nitrogen, as appropriate, at the time of performing any automotive maintenance or repair service. This can help fuel economy up to 3.3%.

6. Learn When to Vent

Air conditioning takes extra gasoline to power, so if you can stand it, while you are driving around town, have the windows down. However, when a car is at high speeds, drag from open windows takes extra gasoline. So for freeway driving air conditioning makes the most, "cents."

7. Combine Trips

So the grocery store is right next to the community pool? Well, after dropping the kids at their swimming lesson, you can knock out your weekly trip to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Making one trip for many tasks saves your time and gasoline.

8. Vital Not to Idle

Just sitting there? You are getting 0 miles to the gallon! It is indeed more fuel efficient to restart the car then to have it running.

Good for More Than Just Hot Weather Testing -- Death Valley, CA

2010-06-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Badwater, Furnace Creek, Devil's Golf Course, Dante's View, Funeral Mountain, and Dead Horse Canyon are just a sampling of the place names in and around Death Valley, California; ominous and foreboding all. And in the summertime, all appropriate if you are not prepared. Also on the map are the words Radiator Water, just as if it were a place name, truly revealing the harshness of summer heat. These place names conjure visions of the extreme struggles that pioneers and prospectors faced in this valley. However, in the springtime and in the fall, the stark beauty of this historic valley with warm days and cool nights is a peaceful place, filled with opportunities for exploration, hiking, relaxing and even fine dining.

Death Valley, the largest national park outside of Alaska, contains more that 3 million acres within the park. It is a place of extremes - 282 feet below sea level at Badwater, average high temperatures in July over 110°F, a high temperature in 1913 of 134°F, average rainfall less than 2 inches per year and while Mount Whitney (the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,495 feet) is not part of Death Valley, it can be seen from Dante's View.

These extremes provide a natural hot weather test environment for automobile manufacturers in the summertime. Not only is the average high temperature in July over 110°F, there are grades going east and west out of the north end of the valley that provide increased heat load to test the limits of vehicle cooling systems. Going west from Stovepipe Wells up Route 190 the elevation rises in a very steady climb from sea level to 5000 feet at Towne Pass in a distance of about 16 miles. Going east out of Stovepipe Wells, on Route 374 toward Beatty, Nevada the road rises to about 4000 feet in a similar distance. The trip from Badwater, 282 feet below sea level, to Dante's View at 5705 feet is less than 40 miles. These routes not only allow real-world limit testing of the vehicle cooling system but also exercise the on-board diagnostic and engine management systems over a full mile altitude change. In addition, in the return trip down to sea level, brake testing can be conducted to determine both brake and brake fluid temperatures in these extreme conditions.

I had the opportunity to visit Death Valley, my second springtime visit, last year.. I've also experienced the summer vehicle testing regimen with its physical demands as well as its opportunities of friendship building. The trip last year is particularly memorable as my wife and I visited places I had not seen before: Mosaic Canyon, Artist's Drive, and Dante's View. Daytime temperatures were in the 80's with beautiful clear skies. At 5:30 on Saturday morning we quickly drove from Furnace Creek to Dante's View to catch the sunrise over the Greenwater Range to the east. It was cool when we left Furnace Creek but we were unprepared for the low 30's temperature and light breeze at the mountain peak at Dante's View (duh!). In spite of the cold (and maybe because of the breeze) the view and the sunrise were breathtaking. After snapping many pictures of both the sunrise and the expansive view of Death Valley below us on the west, we returned to an ample breakfast of blueberry pancakes at the Furnace Creek Ranch 49er's Café.

While the Furnace Creek Ranch is open year around, its sister facility, the Furnace Creek Inn, one mile away closes from early May to early October. In the Valley there are also year around accommodations (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day) at the Stovepipe Wells Village. Beatty, Nevada about thirty miles east of Stovepipe Wells, also provides accommodations for automobile testing crews. A quick 1½ hour trip south from Beatty allows the testing crews to evaluate the hot weather performance of vehicles in stop-and-go city traffic.

The Boshart Engineering (BE) facility in Ontario, California is conveniently located about 3½ hours south of Death Valley in the east end of the Los Angeles basin. From this base camp, BE supports manufacturers for their summer hot weather testing in Death Valley, Las Vegas or even Phoenix, Arizona.

BE can provide personnel, equipment and is able to set-up temporary remote test sites for the hot weather testing. Contact BE at info@BoshartEngineering.com for more information if you have interest in BE's support this summer.

EPA: Shift Survey Requirements - Really? Why?

2010-06-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

In December 2009 the EPA released what is commonly known as a "Dear Manufacturer" Letter, which revised previous certification and fuel economy policy regarding vehicles equipped with Multimode Transmissions, Select-Shift Transmissions (SST), and Shift Indicator Lights. This is another example of this cat and mouse relationship between regulators and manufacturers.

Vehicle manufacturers have developed transmissions with shifting options designed to enhance driving feel and performance. However, this transmission technology creates driving behavior and vehicle operating conditions not easily fitted to the standardized emission test procedures of the EPA. This Letter is the EPA's response, designed to ensure that the intent of both emissions and fuel economy regulations are upheld. This new policy will be applicable beginning Model Year 2011, but optional Model Year 2009-2010.

With this policy, the EPA has provided various ways a manufacturer can determine which transmission mode is predominant. This is necessary to establish what and how many emissions tests should be conducted to determine both the vehicles' emissions compliance and fuel economy. The scenarios in which the predominate mode can be assessed is described in the table below:

The EPA suggests a number of ways the manufacturer can design and conduct a survey to determine the different possible outcomes to define the predominant mode. One of the suggested methods is telephone or mail-out questionnaires. The EPA recommends that an independent organization perform these studies. The minimum amount of respondents is set at 50 participants or 30% of vehicle sales, whichever is the smaller number.

Web-based surveys are also acceptable by the EPA, as long as good engineering judgment is being used in the design and implementation of the program.

Additional methods include logging the "driver-selected mode" through instrumentation on a participant's vehicle. The manufacturer would be required to provide data from 15 representative drivers. Manufacturers can also collect data from the vehicle's Powertrain Control Module (PCM), as long as there is enough data collected from each participant to represent at least one week of in-use driving.

At Boshart, we offer all of these services. We have nearly a decade of experience in data collection and equipment installation, as well a web site that allows current Rate Based Monitoring participants to schedule appointments and choose their desired incentive at their convenience. Click here to read more . We pride ourselves in our relationships with our customers and participants while getting the job done thoroughly and efficiently.

HEAVY DUTY OBD REQUIREMENTS - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

2010-05-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

On Board Diagnostic Systems (OBD) aren't new to the automotive industry, and they have been required by The California Air Resources Board (CARB) in cars and light duty applications since the early 1990's. Beginning this year, CARB requires OBD systems on all heavy-duty highway applications as stated inTitle 13, California Code of Regulations, Section 1971.1 This is the next step to ensure that all emission reduction systems on HD engines continue to operate properly to maintain the certified emission standards for heavy-duty 2010 engines used in highway vehicles weighing over 14,000 lbs. CARB's mandate requires that all major emissions control systems be monitored, and that any problems or malfunctions be detected prior to emissions exceeding the mandated thresholds.

CARB is requiring that just one engine rating (OBD parent rating) within one of the manufacturer's engine families (the highest weighted sales number for 2010) be certified to the Full OBD requirements in 2010 through 2012. Other reduced OBD requirements apply to other engine ratings (OBD child ratings) within the same family selected for Full OBD. All other engine families not selected for Full OBD shall apply an Engine Manufacturer Diagnostic (EMD) System according to 1971.1(d)(7.1.4). Visit http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/obdprog/hdobdreg.htm to access the rule and related documents.

One of the additional requirements of this HD OBD regulation is to report data to CARB regarding In-Use Monitoring of Performance of the OBD systems according to Section 1971.1(l)(3). This data must be provided within twelve months of introduction of the engines into commerce. Data from fifteen vehicles per grouping is required. CARB requires data from different groupings based on emission architecture as well as from a performance grouping. Preceding the collection of data, the manufacturer must provide a data collection and reporting plan to CARB for review and approval.

Boshart Engineering has been conducting this data collection and reporting for numerous light duty vehicle manufacturers for years. We are using the same process, modified for this application, for the HD engine industry. This whole data collection process, including the plan submittal to CARB, can be supplied as a turn-key project for full reporting compliance. At Boshart we locate vehicles, collect, translate and report OBD data for you to send to CARB, making compliance a painless experience. We are fluent in all Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and International Organization of Standards (ISO) coding languages such as SAE J2403 and ISO 15765-4:2001.

Call us today and you OBDon't have to worry about it. Toll Free: (866) 466-1602
Visit our website for more information: www.boshartengineering.com