NGV Industry Applauds 2018 Emissions Certifications for 12 Liter HD Engine

Paul Speraw• January 6, 2018

NGVAmerica heralded news that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have certified the American-made 2018 Cummins Westport (CWI) ISX12N natural gas engine for emissions standards.

The engine meets CARB optional Low NOx emission standard of 0.02 g/bhp-hr, a whopping 90% reduction from engines operating at the current EPA NOx limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr, as well as current EPA greenhouse gas emission (GHG) requirements. Last month both agencies similarly certified the 2018 Cummins Westport (CWI) L9N and B6.7N natural gas engines.

“This official certification confirms that CWI natural gas engines are among the cleanest commercially-available engines today for truck and bus vehicle use,” said NGVAmerica President Daniel Gage. “With 6.7, 9, and 12 liter options, Cummins Westport has a certified, commercially-available natural gas engine for virtually every medium- and heavy-duty application.”

The ISX12N will be available with ratings from 320 to 400 hp and up to 1,450 lb-ft. of torque. The heavy-duty engine is designed for long haul, regional haul, refuse, vocational trucks, as well as motor coach and commuter buses.

These new engines build upon the experience gained from over 80,000 Cummins Westport engines currently in service and provide a present-day solution to urban air quality issues. All CWI engines can be fueled using CNG or LNG, and when renewable natural gas (RNG) from landfill, waste treatment, or agricultural biodigesters is used, significant additional GHG reductions are achieved.

Production of all three engines is set to begin right away. Unlike electric or hydrogen technologies still years away from deployment, this CWI clean technology is ready-right-now. No other pure power technology can match the availability, capability and cost effectiveness of these Zero Emission Equivalent natural gas-fueled products.

The 12 liter will be built at the Cummins Heavy-Duty Engine Plant in Jamestown, New York; the 6.7 and 9 liter mid-range engines at the Cummins Rocky Mount Plant in Whitakers, North Carolina.

NGVs have long been the choice of fleet managers interested in escaping the volatility of ever-changing gasoline and diesel prices. NGVs are powered by American fuel, American technology, and American innovation. Vehicles powered by these new engines have the cleanest emissions profile of any fuel on the market today, and NGVs make a difference through a variety of applications – trucks, trash, transit, marine and rail. No commercially-available heavy-duty powertrain solution today runs cleaner than natural gas.