Sulfur content

According to Mercedes-Benz, America’s dirty fuels, namely its high sulfur content in gasoline, is the main reason why we won’t be seeing a new generation of ‘lean-burn’ engine technology anytime soon. Already on sale in Europe, these lean-burn engines run at a much leaner fuel-to-air ratio than conventional engines, improving fuel economy and emissions. Mercedes-Benz calls its lean-burn engines “Stratified” and says the technology can improve efficiency by as much as 10 percent. However, the technology requires gasoline with a sulfur content of less than 50...