Corning Incorporated discuss latest emission reduction technologies

Automotive IQ had the opportunity to interview Timothy V. Johnson, Director of Emerging Technologies and Regulations at Corning Incorported, on the latest developments on emission control and the comparison between Europe and US. Mr. Johnson will be presenting at the upcoming conference Emission Control Concepts for Gasoline Engines 2016 . Mr. Johnson, emissions regulations in the U.S. are much stricter than in Europe. Is that the only path for OEMs towards innovation and efficient emission control?

Tighter emissions regulations always foster needed technology. In fact, I believe that tighter regulations are like strong medicine to the industry – it might not taste good, but it makes you stronger. Without tighter regulations, pollution levels will increase as vehicle penetration increases resulting in a backlash from the public (e.g., London, Paris). Also, weak regulations open advanced markets to competition from developing countries; and conversely, allow OEMs from developed markets to compete more effectively in developing markets.

In your opinion, which path to emissions reduction seems more promising: using a filter or in-engine technologies?

For meeting particulate regulations, the filter is by-far the better choice. It is absolute, that is, its performance is consistent, robust, and durable.

Engine methods are only effective if everything lines up – no engine deposits, good lube oil and fuel, no cold starts, gentle accelerations, etc. Filter emissions performance improves with age. Engine methods deteriorate with age.

Diesel or gasoline engine? How do you see the market developing in the next 5 to 10 years?

The CO2 gap between gasoline and diesel is closing, but so is the cost gap.

It will become increasingly difficult to meet the emerging CO2 regulations, but once an automaker has a diesel platform, incremental improvements to that platform are very cost effective. I expect diesel share to remain close to today’s level.

What would be the most important challenge right now for the OEMs when it comes to reducing fuel emissions?

There are many challenges, but several immediately come to mind. Delivering CO2 reductions at a reasonable cost is foremost.

A close second concern is reducing the gap between real-world fuel consumption and laboratory certification fuel consumption. I’m optimistic. There are pathways that deliver both societal benefits (low GHG emissions) and customer value (reasonable payback periods).