By IBI Magazine/Michael Verdon
Mercury Marine has recently made technical changes to Verado outboards shipped to US dealers by increasing its fuel efficiency in order to counter the rising price of fuel in the US. It began to ship the more fuel-efficient engines last month. But the increased efficiency, according to Mercury officials, has also meant an increase in hydrocarbon/NOX emissions levels. The higher emission levels has also prompted Mercury to downgrade Verado from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Three Star designation to the "very low emissions" Two Star.
"With fuel prices being what they are, we decided to increase the fuel economy on the Verado line," said Dave Oughton, Mercury's manager of regulations, standards and compliance. Oughton says that the reconfigured engines meet emissions guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency, but fall slightly short of the more stringent CARB Three Star regulations, which are enforced only in California. The company will be allowed to sell the Two Star Verado in volume until January 1, 2008.
But after that, the Two Star designation could dramatically impact 2008 sales of the Verado line in California, when the Three Star designation goes into effect. According to NMMA statistics, California had 894,884 registered boats in 2004, and 325,172 were outboard-powered boats. It is the second-largest state in terms of boating registrations in the US, and is considered the major western market by all outboard manufacturers.
Oughton says that Mercury is currently considering how it intends to meet the stricter CARB regulations in 2008. "You can still sell Two Star motors in California as long as your corporate average emissions is below the three-star designation," he said, adding that many of Mercury's OptiMax outboard classes meet the three-star designation.
But the number of two-star engines available for sale in California will be reduced in 2008 under the new regulations. It is unclear how it will impact sales or availability of the Verado line, which Mercury has been marketing aggressively as the most technologically advanced four-stroke on the water since its introduction two years ago. Many of the Brunswick outboard-powered boat brands, such as Boston Whaler, Triton and Sea Pro, have been pre-rigging their boats with Verado motors for their US dealer bases.
Oughton said that Mercury is now considering how it will deal with the 2008 CARB regulations. "We will have to make some changes to product offerings," he said. "In the past, we have sold the engines with a 50-state policy. We may have to make some decisions around that. But we haven't made those decisions yet." He said that the company would come to a decision shortly.
(14 August 2006)
Mercury Marine has recently made technical changes to Verado outboards shipped to US dealers by increasing its fuel efficiency in order to counter the rising price of fuel in the US. It began to ship the more fuel-efficient engines last month. But the increased efficiency, according to Mercury officials, has also meant an increase in hydrocarbon/NOX emissions levels. The higher emission levels has also prompted Mercury to downgrade Verado from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Three Star designation to the "very low emissions" Two Star.
"With fuel prices being what they are, we decided to increase the fuel economy on the Verado line," said Dave Oughton, Mercury's manager of regulations, standards and compliance. Oughton says that the reconfigured engines meet emissions guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency, but fall slightly short of the more stringent CARB Three Star regulations, which are enforced only in California. The company will be allowed to sell the Two Star Verado in volume until January 1, 2008.
But after that, the Two Star designation could dramatically impact 2008 sales of the Verado line in California, when the Three Star designation goes into effect. According to NMMA statistics, California had 894,884 registered boats in 2004, and 325,172 were outboard-powered boats. It is the second-largest state in terms of boating registrations in the US, and is considered the major western market by all outboard manufacturers.
Oughton says that Mercury is currently considering how it intends to meet the stricter CARB regulations in 2008. "You can still sell Two Star motors in California as long as your corporate average emissions is below the three-star designation," he said, adding that many of Mercury's OptiMax outboard classes meet the three-star designation.
But the number of two-star engines available for sale in California will be reduced in 2008 under the new regulations. It is unclear how it will impact sales or availability of the Verado line, which Mercury has been marketing aggressively as the most technologically advanced four-stroke on the water since its introduction two years ago. Many of the Brunswick outboard-powered boat brands, such as Boston Whaler, Triton and Sea Pro, have been pre-rigging their boats with Verado motors for their US dealer bases.
Oughton said that Mercury is now considering how it will deal with the 2008 CARB regulations. "We will have to make some changes to product offerings," he said. "In the past, we have sold the engines with a 50-state policy. We may have to make some decisions around that. But we haven't made those decisions yet." He said that the company would come to a decision shortly.
(14 August 2006)
