Ten years ago, Noxguard arrived in Mexico with experience it had already begun building on the other side of the border. Automotive urea and aftertreatment systems had a longer track record in the United States, where regulations had accelerated their adoption, while in the Mexican market this technology was just beginning to gain traction.
This difference in timing allowed the company to transfer to the country some of the experience acquired in the US market, but a decade later it still identifies a pending challenge: expanding knowledge about what automotive urea is , what its function is and how it intervenes in the operation of heavy vehicles.
For Guillermo “Memo” Berriochoa, president of the family business, closing that gap involves providing more information to carriers, operators and personnel in charge of maintaining the units.
“Our goal between now and the end of the year is to bring more education to Mexico, to help everyone understand what automotive urea is and how it can help their operations,” he said in an interview.
The company’s story surrounding this product began even earlier. Berriochoa recounted that more than 16 years ago, his father discovered automotive urea while participating in a project in the United States and found in it an alternative linked to reducing emissions from diesel engines. With the introduction of new regulations in that country, the project formally began operations around 2010.
Years later, the family decided to bring that experience to Mexico.
“We came to Mexico 10 years ago to bring all that knowledge we had in the United States,” Berriochoa explained.
Knowledge as a challenge
Currently, one of the pending issues identified by Berriochoa is to explain the role that automotive urea plays within selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems and clear up doubts surrounding its use.
During the interview, he emphasized that its main function is related to the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) . He also mentioned benefits related to fuel consumption, although he identified the environmental and health impacts as the most important aspects.
In this scenario, the company seeks to ensure that training accompanies the advancement of this technology in Mexican road transport, particularly among those directly involved in the operation and maintenance of the units .
According to studies and data from institutions such as the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) , it is estimated that between 110,000 and 165,000 trucks use or require automotive urea to comply with environmental regulations.
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