Cummins starts full production of X15N™, industry-first big bore natural gas engine, first on the Cummins HELM™ platform

Global power and technology leader Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) has started full production of the X15N™ natural gas engine at its Jamestown Engine Plant. The Cummins X15N is the first 15-liter natural gas engine to be designed with flexibility to perform across a range of heavy-duty applications, including line haul and vocational.

“This engine has been tested extensively in our field test, and it is performing well for our customers as they integrate it into their operations,” said Lyndon Jones, Executive Director, North America On-Highway at Cummins Inc. “Full production will enable us to get more engines in our customers’ trucks, which is ultimately where they do the most good to reduce emissions. We are really encouraged by how the X15N is delivering for our customers.”

The X15N is certified at 50mg NOx to meet both 2024 U.S. EPA and CARB regulations. The X15N was built specifically as a natural gas engine and leverages Cummins’ HELM™ strategy making the X-series a global engine platform that will ultimately include multiple fuel types including natural gas, diesel and hydrogen. X15 models share common components below the head gasket where possible, offering familiarity to users.

“The X15N supports Cummins’ strategy to reduce fleet emissions now using available cost-effective technology. Our vision for a zero-emissions future includes internal combustion engines running on lower carbon fuels as part of the solution mix,” Jones said.

In addition to meeting stringent, low NOx standards, the X15N also features up to a 10% improvement in fuel economy over Cummins’ 12-liter natural gas engine with similar rating and duty cycle. The X15N delivers the performance, durability, and power required in a variety of heavy duty and vocational applications and is an excellent alternative for fleets looking to significantly reduce their carbon footprint.

The X15N can be paired with other Cummins powertrain components to deliver optimized features that further improve emissions beyond what the engine can do on its own. These include complete fuel systems from Cummins Clean Fuel Technologies, drive and steer axles from Cummins Drivetrain and Braking Systems, and the Eaton-Cummins Endurant HD-N transmission. This 12-speed transmission delivers improved launch, low-speed maneuverability and smoother shifts for line-haul trucks with a gross vehicle weight of up to 110,000 lbs.

Prior to moving into full production, X15N was extensively tested by some of North America’s largest and most-demanding line-haul, regional haul and vocational fleets under some of the toughest operating conditions. The field test program included 24 trucks embedded with 16 fleets including Walmart, Werner Enterprises, UPS, Knight-Swift, Ryder, National Ready Mix, Ozinga, Food Express and more. The field test units have accumulated more than 1.5 million miles combined. Field test trucks have seen 107-degree heat during summer testing and sub-zero temperatures during winter testing and have climbed elevations of more than 12,000 feet.