Isuzu Commercial Trucks Now Powered by B20 Biodiesel Blends

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At its semi-annual board meeting in Washington D.C. last week, members of the National Biodiesel Board applauded the latest Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to announce its support for use of B20 biodiesel blends.  Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. has confirmed that all of its new 2011 and forward model year diesel engines, including its four popular N-Series truck models as well as the new Isuzu Reach commercial van, are compatible with use of up to 20 percent biodiesel blends (B20).  This is especially significant as Isuzu Commercial Truck is the first Asian manufacturer to approve B20 for U.S. market spec engines.

According to Isuzu Commercial Truck's Retail Marketing Manager Brian Tabel, Isuzu's announcement of B20 support is the result of three key factors:  growing consumer demand for the fuel, an extensive and cooperative research project on B20 biodiesel blends by Isuzu engineers in the U.S. and Japan, and improved biodiesel fuel quality and industry support in the U.S. under the assurances of ASTM D7467, the American Society of Testing and Materials specifications for B6-B20 biodiesel blends.  

"Our customers at Isuzu Commercial Truck of America have been asking for approval to use B20 in our products in the U.S. for many years," Tabel said.  "We are really happy to now turn that request into a reality and bring B20 biodiesel capability to the U.S. market."

Isuzu's announcement is indeed timely as the U.S. biodiesel industry ramps up for its biggest year yet, with expected production volumes of at least 800 million gallons of biodiesel in 2011 to meet requirements under EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2) program.  Made from an increasingly diverse mix of feedstocks, biodiesel is the only fuel produced in commercial scale volumes in the U.S. that qualifies as an Advanced Biofuel under EPA definitions.

Biodiesel's sustainability and cost-effectiveness as a domestically produced, renewable fuel was another factor that appealed to Isuzu Commercial Truck as they considered different powertrain options for meeting the increasingly stringent U.S. emissions standards.  

"In looking for ways to lessen our environmental footprint while also improving fuel economy, we realized that our customers can much more easily afford a high fuel-efficiency, B20-compatible diesel vehicle running on biodiesel blends than some of the very expensive hybrid vehicles out there," Tabel added.  "Biodiesel just makes sense."

National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe welcomed Isuzu's announcement by saying, "We are extremely pleased to see Isuzu Commercial Truck join the ranks of OEMs openly supporting B20 biodiesel blends.  Now more than 60 percent of manufacturers in the U.S. market approve the use of B20 or higher blends in at least some of their equipment.  With Isuzu setting the pace as a market leader in the medium-duty truck segment, we look forward to more OEM announcements of support for B20 in the near future."  

Isuzu Commercial Truck commands an impressive 73 -75 percent market share of the low cab-forward medium-duty truck market in the U.S.  Through its network of 293 dealers in the U.S., Isuzu expects to sell 10,000 – 11,000 diesel units in 2011, all of which are capable to use with B20 biodiesel blends.  

Biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that is reducing U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum, creating green jobs and improving our environment.  Biodiesel production, distribution and use will support more than 31,000 U.S. jobs in 2011 and replace nearly 1 billion gallons of imported petroleum diesel.  Biodiesel is used in existing diesel engines and meets the strict specifications of ASTM D6751 and ASTM D7467.

For more details on biodiesel's benefits, including economic and job boosts, energy security,

and environmental advantages, visit biodiesel.org. For more information on Isuzu Commercial Trucks, visit www.isuzucv.com.  

SOURCE National Biodiesel Board