The Environmental Protection Agency has certified the first of Cummins’ on-highway engines designed to meet the October 2002 emissions standards.

Cummins announced this morning that EPA has certified the ISX engine to the 2.5-gram NOx + NMHC standard.
While there has been concern in the industry that the ’02 engines will suffer in terms of fuel economy, performance and durability, John Wall, Cummins vice president and chief technical officer, says performance of the new engines will be improved in terms of engine braking capability and overall engine responsiveness. In fact, Cummins testing among drivers showed they preferred the performance of the October ’02 engine compared to today’s ISX.
“With the certification of the ISX completed six months early, we will continue to refine and look for further improvements in fuel economy and reliability,” Wall said.
Cummins has been field testing the ISX engines since December 1999 and will have accumulated more than 6 million miles of on-highway testing by October.
In issuing the certification, Cummins said, the EPA also affirmed the use of auxiliarly emissions control devices as sumbitted by Cummins. AECD’s, as they are called, are permitted by law when limited engine protection is necessary under certain operating conditions. AECD’s are used in today’s engines throughout the industry and are approved as part of the EPA regulations and certification process.