TWNA Technical Achievement Award Winner Cummins X15 Engine
The Truck Writers of North America’s 2016 Technical Achievement Award has been decided, and the winner is the Cummins X15 Efficiency Series diesel engine.
The 14.9-liter diesel gains 3 percent in fuel efficiency over the preceding model, the ISX15, through improvements to air-handling, combustion efficiency, reduced parasitic losses and advanced electronics, according to a Cummins news release. Maintenance should cost 40 percent less than previous engines over five years.
The ISX15 was redesigned to meet 2017 federal greenhouse gas and fuel economy requirements, and two models called X15 Performance and X15 Efficiency were introduced.
To be nominated for the award, products must show technical innovation, have a wide applicability and availability in trucking, and offer significant operating benefits.
The other four finalists were Accuride’s EverSteel wheel with a special anti-corrosion treatment; the Mack and Volvo “wave” piston, part of engine upgrades to comply with new greenhouse gas and fuel economy regulations; SAF-Holland’s P89 disc brake, a high-performance, lightweight and moderate-cost braking product; and Volvo’s iSee and Mack’s Predictive cruise control, which “learns” routes and operates a truck’s powertrain to gain maximum efficiency.
