At its press conference at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., Cummins announced its 2013 engine lineup will offer 2 percent better fuel economy than its 2012 engines. The 2013 lineup already meets the 2013 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations and the greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency rules that will take effect in 2014.
The fuel economy improvements come as a result of changes to gearing recommendations through the use of downspeeding, which allows the ISX15 and ISX12 to achieve peak torque at 100 fewer rpm. In addition, Cummins announced it is approving the use of low-viscosity 10W30 oils, which it says will reduce maintenance expenses through increased oil drain intervals.
“We allow the engine to operate efficiently and effectively down in the 1,200-1,300 rpm range in heavy-duty, whereas three or four years ago we’d have been talking about 1,400-1,500 rpm,” says Steve Charlton, vice president and chief technology officer for Cummins’ engine business. “Just dropping the speed is key to help attain better fuel economy.”
In the heavy-duty engine segment, Cummins said it has 40 percent market share with the ISX12 and ISX15 engines.
“With ISX availability at Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo, Freightliner, Western Star and Navisar, Cummins can now choose Cummins power in virtually all of the premium Class 8 models,” says Jeff Jones, vice president of Cummins North American Engine Business.
Jones says all of the 2013 ISX15 ratings at 1,450 hp and below now deliver peak torque at 1,000 rpm, and the company recommends that trucks equipped with manual transmissions be geared to cruise at 65 mph at 1,270 rpm for linehaul applications, which is 100 rpm lower than last year.
Cummins also announced strong growth in the medium-duty engine market, with more than 50 percent market share growth in the last 10 years.
