Cummins Puts More Focus on Improments to Its Mid-range Engines

 

“Innovation is not only related to the brand new,” said Jeff Caldwell, executive director of North American Truck OEMs for Cummins, during the Work Truck Show March 14. “Cummins announced our new mid-range engine platforms last year, but we haven’t been resting on our laurels. We constantly strive to make our products better for our customers, so they can keep their truck on the road longer, getting the job done. Cummins is a company committed to innovation, and in 2017, the market leader keeps getting better.”

 

Caldwell said Cummins has the broadest range of mid-range diesel and natural gas engines on the market today, powering a variety of transportation customer vehicles.

 

Its ‘uptime champion’, enhancements to the B6.7 improves on fuel economy, with the engine seeing an average of 8.5% on efficiency ratings and 5% on performance ratings over the former leader, its 2013 ISB6.7.

 

“Our B Series engines have been at the heart of many hard-working trucks through North America over the past few decades. And in 2017, the B6.7 maintains its bulletproof reliability while bringing tangible fuel economy savings for our customers,” said Caldwell. “The program started with a goal of delivering 7% better fuel economy on the efficiency ratings and 1% better fuel economy on the performance ratings over the 2013 product. As the program progressed, we found opportunities to tune and optimize the engine, delivering further efficiency, and allowing us to surpass initial expectations.”

 

The B6.7 also has stop-start capability, which Cummins said provide improved fuel economy of between 3% and 15%.

Caldwell said stop-start technology offers reduced consumables, increased durability and enhanced productivity.

 

Cummins, which has been working with natural gas exports for almost five decades, has also improved its Westport natural gas engines.

 

The ISL G Near Zero engine, along with the ISB6.7 G, is currently in production for bus, medium-duty truck and vocational applications.

 

“Our most compact natural gas offering – the ISB6.7 G – offers strong performance, reliability and durability to customers requiring low-emissions vehicles,” said Rob Neitzke, president of Cummins Westport. “With the publicly available natural gas fueling infrastructure growing across North America, the ISB6.7 G offers mid-range customers operating in local areas a low-emissions, cost-effective solution.”

 

For the ISL G Near Zero, Cummins has added a closed crankcase ventilation system, slightly larger three-way catalyst and software enhancements.

 

Cummins said the ISL G Near Zero is the first mid-range engine in North America to receive emissions certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency and Air Resources Board for meeting the optional 0.02 g/bhp-hr near zero oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions standards, 90% lower than the EPA’s 2010 standards.

 

“Based on the reliability and operating improvements of the base ISL G engine, the ISL G Near Zero is a game-changer,” Neitzke said. “The engine offers customers the benefit of performance with the lowest emissions at a much lower cost than battery electric-vehicles. It is zero-emissions technology at conventional propulsion system values.”

 

Both the ISB6.7 G and ISL G Near Zero operate exclusively on compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas or renewable natural gas.