Cummins rolls out 3 new engines; 2 versions available in 2017

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Cummins Inc. has introduced three new engines to meet new greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards being implemented next year.

The new X series was launched at the Cummins’ Four Strokes of Genius event at the Transportation Research Center in Ohio, where a fleet of trucks powered by the engines were shown on a test track.

The X series has three heavy-duty engine platforms, with two versions of the X15 being offered next year, followed by the X12 version in full production by 2018, company officials said.

The X15- and the X12-powered truck test runs came 85 years after company founder Clessie Cummins tested the first heavy-duty truck diesel engine in North America — the 125-hp Model H — on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track, the company said in a news release.

Describing the engines as inspired by customers and their business needs, Srikanth Padmanabhan, Cummins president — Engine Business, said each of the engines is focused on productivity, optimized for specific duty cycles and applications.

“Our latest X15 and X12 engines deliver unparalleled performance while achieving the lowest cost of operation,” Padmanabhan said. “Equally important — they are great to drive, with faster response and more braking power than ever before, and that will help fleets retain their best drivers.”

The X15 Performance Series version is configured for heavy-haul and vocational trucks with a 485 hp to 605 hp ratings range, the company said. Another version, the X15 Efficiency Series, is tailored for line-haul and regional haul applications with a 400 hp to 500 hp range.

This new platform carries the best-in-class attributes of the ISX15 with the implementation of an optimized compression ratio, air handling system and cam profile to increase fuel efficiency and performance capability, the company said.

“While today’s ISX 15 is a highly popular engine, we are constantly searching for ways to improve our products,” said Amy Boerger, Cummins vice president — North American Engine Business. “So we examined every critical component and system to see how it could be upgraded or improved.”

In addition to dropping the “IS” from the name, the new X15 engines incorporate trademarked features called ADEPT, SmartCoast and Predictive Cruise Control functions, to gain a further 3 percent fuel economy improvement.

Engine reliability is being fully validated by more than 9 million miles of real-word driving before the start of full production in January 2017, the most extensive field-test program that the company has ever undertaken, company officials said.

The X12 medium bore engine has a 350- to 475-hp range for regional-haul, intra-city delivery and vocational trucks, the company said. It is designed to meet the productivity and performance needs of the North American Class 8 truck market, consisting of commercial tractor-trailer rigs in the highest weight class — more than 33,000 pounds.

With the highest power-to-weight ratio of any engine in the 10- to 16-liter class, the X12 enables regional-haul, intra-city delivery and vocational trucks to operate at a maximum payload with lower fuel consumption and more responsive driving than previously experience with an engine of this size, the company said.

All three engines will be manufactures at the Cummins’ Jamestown, New York, engine plant.

Another first with the new series of heavy duty engine platforms is that every X15 and X12 engine will be factory-ready to enable Over-the-Air engine programming and customization when connected to a telematics system.

Using Cummins’ trademarked Connected Calibrations applications will allow truck fleets to improve productivity, allowing adjustments and improved cost of operations without a visit to a service department.

The company is working to improve truck uptime through the trademarked Connected Diagnostics, enabled through the engine’s Electronic Control Module and telematics system. Connected Diagnostics automatically processes fault code data, sending instant notifications from Cummins detailing probable cause and providing recommended actions.

The advice from the company may be delivered by email, app or web portal, enabling a fleet manager to make informed decisions and when to schedule a service visit for the vehicle to maximize uptime, the company said.

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