An NOx emission system for diesel powered vehicles has a "Y" exhaust system with an NOx adsorber catalyst in each leg and an oxidation catalyst in the combined leg. One bank of cylinders sends exhaust gases to one of the "Y" legs while a second bank of cylinders send exhaust gases to the other "Y" leg. Composition of the exhaust gases in each leg is independently controlled by the engine's ECU so that exhaust gases in one leg are rich for regenerating the NOx adsorber catalyst in that leg while exhaust gas composition in the other leg is lean so that the combined gas stream is always lean and reductant slip is oxidized in the oxidation catalyst.