Finally, it looks like Ford and GM are getting their products inline and recognizing that biodiesel is not going away. Prior to this and the GM announcement (see older posts), most of the domestic diesel vehicles could only handle up to B5.
From the NBB Bulletin for September 2, 2009:
Biodiesel supporters are cheering Ford Motor Company’s announcement that its all-new Ford-built 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty® diesel pickups will be fully compatible with a 20 percent biodiesel blend (B20).
“This is the first of what we expect to be many formal announcements of B20 approval in new clean diesel technology,” said Steve Howell, technical director for the National Biodiesel Board. “With the formal approval and acceptance of B20 in the 2011 Super Duty, Ford now has a clean and green engine of tomorrow that will also reduce NOx emissions by more than 80 percent. NBB already has inquiries from biodiesel fans wanting to purchase a new B20 pickup!”
The NBB and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have spent more than $10 million testing B20 and understanding how it works in the new diesel engines and after-treatment technology during the last five years. That’s in addition to research and development efforts by the individual Original Equipment Manufacturers like Ford.
Ford’s support for B20 could have substantial market implications. Ford currently dominates the on-road diesel truck market with nearly a 46 percent market share of the diesel vehicle registrations in the U.S. according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
The 2011 models will be arriving at dealerships in the first half of 2010.