Navistar to Add Cummins ISB to International Trucks; MaxxForce Diesels Continue
Navistar will equip International Trucks with MaxxForce Diesels and Cummins ISB. Continue
The Cummins ISB 6.7-liter diesel will be offered in the International DuraStar medium-duty trucks and CE series IC school buses made by Navistar International Corp., but the company claims that this doesn't mean it is exiting the engine business.
The intermediate ISB will join the heavy duty ISX15 in the truck lineup, according to Bill Kozek, president of Navistar's North America Truck and Parts. Navistar will also continue to produce and market its own MaxxForce DT, MaxxForce 13, and other diesels.
He stressed in response to a question at a phone-in news conference with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, "We won't be leaving the engine business.
Kozek declared: "We can now provide SCR automobiles thanks to the ISB.
In the interim, he claimed that the choice "gives us more time to draw up a transition strategy for our own midrange engine."
The DT and MaxxForce 7 Navistar medium-duty diesels will continue to run on EGR alone without selective catalytic reduction using emissions credits from the EPA.
He asserted that we had enough emission credits to last the rest of the present year.
Similar to the MaxxForce 13, Navistar midrange diesels will have Cummins SCR equipment; announcements on them will be made later.
The ISB is "the same script as in heavy duty" in that it gives customers the choice between a Cummins product and proprietary engines, according to Kozek. It is a tactic to boost sales of medium-duty cars.
The ISX has helped international trucks gain market share, and their Class 8 order share is now above 20% for the quarter.
He claims that consumers requested the Cummins ISB in part so that their engines would continue to work with other truck brands.
According to Kozek, the ISB has been produced in 10 million units, making it a tried-and-true engine. We have experience building [trucks with the ISB] because of our Blue Diamond joint venture with Ford. The same chassis used by Ford's F-650, F-750, and International DuraStar "allows us to ramp up very quickly."
DuraStars powered by ISB will be available for purchase through international dealers immediately. This fall will see the commencement of the first round of manufacturing, and December will see the start of the last phase. The process of putting ISBs on IC school buses will begin in January.
However, he did say that the TerraStar would probably not be one of those vehicles due to packing concerns. Kozek declined to respond to the subject of whether the ISB might be employed in other medium-duty trucks, such as the WorkStar.
Kozek, who just left Peterbilt Motors to join Navistar, claims that it is unknown how many ISBs the company will use or how many DuraStars will be powered by Cummins and MaxxForce engines.
