The FedEx guy dropped by on his route to look at the Scorpion. He's a nice guy and having dropped off stuff and having watched me bolt stuff on, he (like the UPS man) are now friends of mine. They often stop if they have some slack in their schedule, share a Diet Coke and BS about off-road stuff, politics, etc.
I was washing
the Scorpion at the time and mentioned that I wished that Toyota would offer a diesel engine option for the FJ.
He pointed to his FedEx truck and told me that FedEx was sending all of their diesel delivery trucks to other states and that they were buying new gasoline engine trucks for California.
huh?
He said that the diesel emissions standards in California were so tough that none of their trucks could meet them and they were getting tougher.
So I did some research:
California Diesel Risk Reduction Program
"Following the identification of diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in 1998, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) developed a comprehensive strategy to control diesel PM emissions. The “Risk Reduction Plan to Reduce Particulate Matter Emissions from Diesel-Fueled Engines and Vehicles”—a document approved by ARB in September 2000—set goals to reduce diesel PM emissions in California by 75% by 2010 and 85% by 2020.
"This objective would be achieved by a combination of approaches (including emission regulations for new diesel engines and low sulfur fuel program). An important part of the Diesel Risk Reduction Plan are measures for various categories of in-use on- and off-road diesel engines, which are generally based on the following types of controls:
"Retrofitting engines with emission control systems, such as diesel particulate filters or oxidation catalysts, replacement of existing engines with new technology diesel engines or natural gas engines, and restrictions placed on the operation of existing equipment.
"Tthe ARB regulations should not be confused with the rules by South Coast Air Quality Management District—adopted in 2000 and later invalidated by US Supreme Court—which attempted to ban the purchase of diesel vehicles, regardless of their PM emission level. (emphasis added)"
Maybe that explains Toyota's reluctance to sell diesel powered FJ's. Especially if they're somehow made ILLEGAL to operate in some US markets. You know that if California takes these air pollution measures, other urban areas will follow at some point.
