Caterpillar is committed to providing customers with component options and keeping component choice a viable solution, according to Jim Parker, vice president, Caterpillar Power Systems Marketing Division.

Parker’s statement was part of his keynote speech at the 60th annual meeting of NationaLease, the largest member-owned system of full-service leasing companies in North America.
Parker said that ever-tightening emissions regulations remain a challenge. However, he said, Caterpillar has engines in testing with technology that meet the 2007 EPA standards. There are now more than 120,000 Caterpillar engines with ACERT Technology on the road.
2007 Caterpillar engines are expected to have the same power range and maintenance schedules, and to deliver fuel economy that’s comparable to today’s engines, although the impact of low-sulfur diesel fuel is still unknown, he said.
A number of 2007 Caterpillar engines at selected ratings will be provided to customers to test in their own operations starting in mid-2005, more than a year ahead of the compliance deadline.
“We believe it’s critically important that our customers have the ability to assess the 2007 engines early on, in order to get the experience they need to make informed purchase decisions,” Parker told the NationaLease audience.