ISX Engine Certified for 2002, Cummins Says

Cummins Inc. says its ISX engine has become the first heavy-duty truck engine to win U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification under October 2002 emission standards.

The Cummins engine, the company said, meets the standard for emission of no more than 2.5 grams of nitrogen oxide per braking-horsepower hour.

With six months to go until the deadline, the other engine makers are arrayed at varying positions in the race. Mack spokesmen told Transport Topics last week that approval of that company’s engine is pending, while Detroit Diesel said it was placing test engines among large fleets.

Caterpillar, which has said it cannot meet the new standard until next year, plans to offer an engine for sale in October that it says will bridge the gap between current and future technologies.

Cummins said the EPA also approved the company’s proposal concerning the use of auxiliary emissions control devices – which shut off emissions controls to protect the engine under certain operating conditions.

The October 2002 deadline is the result of a court-approved consent decree signed in 1998 by a group of manufacturers of heavy-duty engines, including Cummins. All made a commitment to move up the January 2004 deadline.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ind., Cummins manufactures a broad line of power generation and other products. The company has 24,900 employees worldwide and reported sales of $5.7 billion in 2001.

(Click here for the full press release.)

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