Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) has unveiled its SmartEfficiency initiative for the school bus market at the School Transportation News (STN) EXPO in Reno from July 23 to 27. The SmartEfficiency initiative focuses on improved uptime, reliability and fuel economy. As part of the SmartEfficiency initiative, Cummins revealed the full 2017 school bus engine lineup, including the V5.0, ISB6.7 G, the 2017 B6.7, the 2017 L9, and the ISL G Near Zero (NZ) natural gas engine. “The combination of proven and stable engine architectures, with innovative entrants to the Cummins diesel and Cummins Westport natural gas lineup, provides an optimal solution for every school district,” said Laura Chasse, General Manager – North American Bus.
Building upon the proven legacy of 12 million B Series engines produced, the 2017 B6.7 for school buses will continue to please districts by providing up to a 5 percent fuel-economy improvement across all ratings, and up to a 7 percent fuel-economy improvement for the Efficiency Series B6.7 ratings (200 hp to 260 hp). Additionally, “For school districts wanting improved fuel economy and reduced engine noise during traditional idle times, the 2017 B6.7 is fully capable of implementing Cummins Stop-Start technology,” said Sumit Nema, B6.7 Product Manager.
For customers interested in alternative fuel options, the Cummins Westport ISB6.7 G is available from Thomas Built Buses® in
Saf-T-Liner® Type C school buses. Based on the Cummins ISB6.7 diesel platform, the ISB6.7 G offers up to 240 hp (179 kW) and
560 lb-ft (759 N•m) of torque, and meets the Air Resources Board (ARB) optional low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) standard of
0.1 g/bhp-hr, as well as 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greenhouse gas (GHG) requirements.
The 2017 L9 continues its legacy of providing a robust, durable solution for school districts that require more power in their buses. School districts can now expect to see as much as a 15 percent fuel-economy improvement in L9-powered school buses compared with that of ISL9s from a decade ago.
The Cummins Westport ISL G NZ offers a natural gas option for Type D school bus customers. Based on the ISL G, it features the latest in natural gas engine improvements while meeting the EPA and ARB optional near-zero NOx emissions standard of
0.02 g/bhp-hr – 90 percent lower than the current EPA standard.
The 2017 B6.7 and L9 platfo ms will see a combined 2.25 million test miles prior to the January 2017 launch, and share similar reliability and efficiency improvements. Both the B6.7 and L9 will use an optimized Single Module™ aftertreatment, for better reliability and thermal management, a Stage 1 NanoNet® fuel filter, for improved water separation, and an improved lamp strategy, for an improved operator interface and communication through dash lamps. The B6.7 will utilize an improved, proven VGT® Turbocharger with a heavy-duty bearing system, for better system robustness, and the L9 will make use of an improved oil pan with enhanced sealing technology, for better oil control and serviceability.
Furthermore, for added school district and operator comfort, the V5.0, B6.7 and L9 are all Cummins Connected Solutions™-compatible. With Connected Diagnostics™, Cummins provides real-time engine fault code analysis, probable diagnosis and recommended actions for school buses equipped with a telematics service.
