Cummins announced it has received certification from the Environmental Protection Agency for its 2010 Heavy-Duty big-bore ISX15 and MidRange ISB6.7, ISC8.3 and ISL9 engines.

Certification of these engines means that the Cummins 2010 engine lineup for on-highway applications meets the near zero emissions levels required for all engines manufactured in 2010.

The new EPA regulations, which took effect Jan. 1, 2010, are the most stringent emissions regulations in the world, with Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions levels of 0.2 grams and 0.01 grams per brake-horsepower-hour, respectively.

"Receiving the formal certificates is an important step in the process as we enter 2010 with customer-ready products," said Jim Kelly, President, Engine Business.

Like most other engine manufacturers, Cummins will use selective catalytic reduction technology to meet the EPA 2010 near-zero emissions standards. Cummins originally had said it would pursue an in-cylinder solution, like Navistar International, but later committed to using SCR technology because of what it calls "a step change in performance" that provides a significant increase in efficiency and durability.

"Our decision to use SCR technology has given us the ability to provide customers with the most fuel efficient engines for on-highway applications. We expect to see at least 5 percent fuel economy improvement for the ISX15 and up to 3 percent improvement for the MidRange products," Kelly said.

Cummins EPA 2010 engines will include an enhanced cooled EGR system and a single VGT Turbocharger. The ISX15, ISL9, and ISC8.3 feature the Cummins XPI fuel system, and the ISB6.7 features an improved High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR)fuel system. The new SCR catalyst is included along with the Cummins Particulate Filter, first introduced in 2007, in the Cummins Aftertreatment System. Incorporating SCR technology will also require the use of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) at an average rate of 2 percent of diesel fuel consumption. DEF is currently available at numerous retail locations throughout the United States and Canada including all Cummins distributor locations.

With the introduction of the new EPA 2010 engines, Cummins maintains engine availability across a broad range of on-highway applications. The Heavy-Duty ISX15 offers fuel economy leadership for the heavy-duty Class 8 truck market along with better performance and better reliability compared to today's industry-leading ISX. And, the MidRange ISB6.7, ISC8.3, and the ISL9 are designed for and available in a wide variety of applications, including the medium-duty truck, school bus, fire and emergency and recreational vehicle markets.

To best serve customers in the vocational and less-than-truckload markets, the Cummins ISX11.9 will be introduced later in 2010. The ISX11.9 is on target for limited production in mid-2010 with full production commencing in late summer of 2010. Cummins will submit necessary documentation for EPA 2010 certification for the ISX11.9 later this year, prior to introduction to the marketplace.

(Read Executive Editor Steve Sturgess' hands-on evaluation of the Cummins 2010 ISX in the December issue of Heavy Duty Trucking; article available online here.)