COLUMBUS, IN — Cummins Inc. has reached an agreement with a major automotive manufacturer to produce and market a light-duty, diesel-powered engine for the North American market. Cummins’ OEM partner wants its identity to remain confidential for competitive reasons.
As part of the agreement, Cummins will develop and manufacture a family of high-performance, light-duty diesel engines for a variety of automotive applications in vehicles below 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight, including standard pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Certain bus, marine and industrial applications also will be served by this engine family.
The first vehicles with this engine are expected to be ready for market by the end of the decade. Cummins anticipates that this diesel engine will provide an average of 30 percent fuel savings, depending on the drive cycle, over gasoline-powered engines for comparable vehicles.
The concept for this product is the result of a nine-year partnership between Cummins and the U. S. Department of Energy. The DOE contract began in 1997 because of the federal agency’s ongoing interest in energy efficiency in the automotive market.
Cummins has not yet selected a manufacturing site for the new engine, but after an extensive search has narrowed the candidates to a short list of states. The company expects to have added 600 new jobs approximately two years after product launch.
For more information about Cummins, go to: www.cummins.com .
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