Advantages of diesel engines

For a World that is always on

Advanced diesel engines are some of the most fuel and energy-efficient options in the market, but those are just the beginning of their advantages. Some of their advantages are emotional. For a hundred years, people have been firing up a diesel engine to start their work day. But the environmental impact of that economy is now under increasing regulations. Innovative aftertreatment systems and cutting-edge engineering allow owners to operate with net zero emissions and supplement operations with biodiesel blends. This addresses diesel’s main disadvantage—its environmental impact, and allows this fuel to be part of powering the future. 

Let’s review the four high-level advantages of modern diesel engines.

Advantage 1: Diesel Fuel Economy

Diesel vehicles can travel 20% to 35% farther on a single gallon of fuel than similarly-sized gasoline vehicles. Diesel fuel economy comparison with biodiesel also reveals that low-sulfur diesel can be the superior option. For example, B100 biodiesel in particular is around 7% less efficient than diesel, according to the US Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center. However, B20 biodiesel is roughly equivalent to regular diesel in its potential for fuel efficiency.

What is the fuel efficiency of diesel? One limited comparison of passenger vehicles by The Motley Fool showed diesel is 29% more efficient on the highway and 24% more efficient in the city. For commercial vehicles, diesel is the best option available in areas without natural gas or hydrogen infrastructure, and even in those areas, diesel may still be preferred.

Advantage 2: Diesel Engines Require Less Maintenance

If you’re wondering “do diesel engines have more problems,” the answer is that they have less. There are fewer overall parts in a diesel engine than a gasoline engine, meaning less components to break or need repair. As one example, diesel engines do not have spark plugs. This leaves less room for electrical failures and reduces the need for maintenance and upkeep by the owner. Less waste is produced and cost-savings are achieved!

What is the main problem with diesel engines? By many accounts, overheating. Diesel engines are powerful and get put to hard use in all environmental conditions. But with just a little regular maintenance, Cummins Inc. advanced diesel engines are up for any challenge.

Advantage 3: Diesel Powers High Torque

What are the performance benefits of a diesel engine? Diesel engines deliver better acceleration, towing, and hauling potential than their gasoline counterparts. This is because within a diesel engine, the piston rises to the top of the cylinder, while in a gasoline engine it stops short. Diesel engines compress more air faster, delivering more power to get work done. Features like a turbocharger allow extra air to enter a diesel engine so it can deliver on horsepower as well. Cummins is focused on turbochargers for medium and heavy-duty diesel engines to improve efficiency and achieve cost savings. 

Advantage 4: Diesel Engines Have a Long Lifespan

Diesel engines are built tough to handle high compression and hard work. That means they last a long time as well. At Cummins, we’re committed to making our engines last with less upkeep required by owners. Simplified aftertreatment systems, longer oil-drain intervals and maintenance-free filters are just some of the features in our diesel engine lineup. These innovations mean better on-going financials while carrying on the essential business of moving packages and people from where they are to where they’re headed.

Cummins Delivers Powerful, Dependable, Responsible Diesel

Is diesel better for the economy? From many perspectives, yes. Diesel is a familiar and ingrained technology on farms, worksites, roadways, and railways across the world. As all these economic sectors and others take action to meet emissions regulations, diesel does not have to leave the equation. Cummins aftertreatment systems can convert diesel emissions into nitrogen gas and water vapor, allowing diesel to maintain its place powering life without concern about environmental impact and compliance.

In 1919, Clessie Lyle Cummins founded Cummins to deliver on his vision of an improved diesel engine. Since then, we have never stopped pushing the boundaries of possibility, from innovating clean diesel to alternative fuels like natural gas and hydrogen

The advantages of diesel engines are many, and Cummins wants to help you make the most of them. Learn more about the application of our engines across industries, or find a dealer location near you for service or support. 


 

 
Cummins Office Building

Cummins Inc.

Cummins, a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions and components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products.

Cummins Custompaks are being used for water management as Thailand struggles with its water crisis

CustomPak on site

Water crisis

Sixty Cummins Inc. CustomPaks are in service in Thailand as part of a critical water management plan aimed at easing the country’s water crisis – a crisis that has caused enormous economic and social damage and stirred conflict among communities.

Over the past several decades, Thailand has continually faced water problems caused by severe drought. Water reserves in dams and reservoirs are insufficient while water resources are often contaminated with toxins caused by urban communities and the industrial and agricultural sectors.

Severe flooding is a threat, too, at a time when the realities of climate change are hanging over the country.

As a result, the allocation of precious water resources, which must be shared among various stakeholders including new and existing industry, large and small agriculture, and cities and villages has become a flashpoint.

Kittithanapat Engineering Co. (KTP), has been involved in the water management system since 1996, working closely with authorities such as the Royal Irrigation Department, Department of Water Resources, Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and others.

CustomPaks on site

600 hp CustomPaks

To help KTP meet its often urgent requirements, Cummins DKSH (Thailand) has recently supplied 60 Australian-built CustomPaks – 45 powered by Cummins’ X15 engine rated at 600 hp, and 15 powered by the QSL9 rated at 325 hp. These fully self-contained powerpacks are emissions certified to Tier 3.

The CustomPaks are coupled to hydraulically-driven, large-volume submersible water pumps sourced by KTP from US company Moving Water Industries (MWI); KTP is the exclusive distributor in Thailand for these MWI Hydroflo pumps.

Prior to Cummins’ involvement, KTP was using another diesel engine brand but service support wasn’t up to the standard required.

Long-serving KTP engineer Kittisak Thanasoot says Cummins DKSH’s reputation for technical and aftersales support along with the reliability of the Cummins product were a key reason behind KTP’s decision to specify the CustomPaks for the Royal Irrigation Department.

The ability of Cummins DKSH to respond to short delivery times was also important.

“Supplying large quantities of high horsepower diesel engines for emergency situations such as flash flooding can be a challenge for KTP,” says Kittisak Thanasoot.

“Responding to the needs of the government agencies to manage such problems in a timely manner and with least impact on communities, KTP has found the answer in our partnership with Cummins DKSH.”

Power, pride and passion

Parked semi truck

The switch back to Cummins power has been beneficial for iconic New Zealand company Uhlenberg Haulage. It's all about whole-of-life costs.

Uhlenberg Haulage is closing in on 60 years in business, having been founded in 1966 by Mike and Carol Uhlenberg.

Based in Eltham, Taranaki, in New Zealand’s North Island, the operation is today owned and operated by their sons Chris, Daryl and Tony Uhlenberg.

Describing the Uhlenbergs as “old school family truckies”, Daryl talks about the company’s time-honored journey with a definite tone of pride, especially the work of his parents in laying the foundations for what is today an iconic fleet in its own right.

Cummins Inc. made its debut in the Uhlenberg fleet in 1971 with an NH250 powering a second-hand Kenworth K923 used in logging. A second Kenworth, a new W924 with a Cummins NTC335, followed soon after hauling an LPG tanker.

The Uhlenberg operation today comprises 40 prime movers and a variety of trailing gear to cater for the myriad of a jobs the fleet is involved in.

A number of Peterbilts feature in the fleet although Kenworth is now the brand of choice with six new units to be delivered over the next 12 months to cater for business growth.

Cummins’ X15 Euro 5 engine rated at 550 or 600 hp is the preferred power specification, with 18 red engines currently in the fleet.

Uhlenberg family in front of truck

Whole-of-life support

“The switch to Cummins has been a very good experience for us. We have nothing but praise for the Cummins organization,” says Daryl.

“The whole-of-life picture is the key thing for us and we’ve got that nailed with the support we get from Cummins – parts availability, scheduled maintenance, life expectancy and in-frame rebuilds.

“So the red engines turn up, we run them to life, which is 900,000 to 1.2 million kilometers, and then Cummins does an in-frame overhaul in a timely manner. If there’s an issue, parts and support are close by.

“The support we get from Cummins Palmerston North is fantastic, second to none.”

Daryl recently looked under a Kenworth that was in the workshop for a service and was surprised to see no oil leaking from the one-million-kilometer X15. “I remember when I was a fitter we had to wear a raincoat when working under a truck,” he jokes.

Fuel agnostic

Acknowledging that the push to decarbonize is now “very real”, Daryl likes the idea of Cummins’ fuel agnostic concept where one base internal combustion engine, optimized to run on diesel, can also be customized to run on ultra-low and zero-carbon fuels like renewable natural gas and hydrogen.

“My father was a pioneer of linehaul trucking in New Zealand and he always embraced new technology. He was never scared of it,” he says.

“I tend to be a little more cautious but I can see where a 500 hp natural gas or hydrogen engine would work for us in short haul applications,” he admits. “We’re certainly willing to look closely at these alternative fuel technologies when suitable infrastructure is in place.”

Redirecting to
cummins.com

The information you are looking for is on
cummins.com

We are launching that site for you now.

Thank you.