Cummins — at least temporarily — abandons development of 15L natural gas engine

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Updated Jan 16, 2014
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Cummins will be halting development of its ISX15 G natural gas-powered engine due to uncertainty of the market, says Christy House, spokesperson for the engine maker. 

“As a result of market timing uncertainty, Cummins has paused the development of the ISX15 G natural gas engine,” said House, On-Highway Marketing Communications Director for Cummins. “While we believe natural gas power will continue to grow in the North American truck market, the timing of the adoption of natural gas in long haul fleets preferring 15 liter engines is uncertain.”

Westport — another major player in developing natural gas engines for the trucking industry — also bowed out of the 15-liter natural gas engine market in October, announcing plans to halt orders for its 15-liter nat gas engine. It also unveiled plans to work more directly with truck makers on natural gas technology. 

Cummins’ 15-liter natural gas engine was expected to enter production later this year. It introduced the engine in March 2012. 

Infrastructure development, however, has been a problem, and House says Cummins will re-evaluate natural gas demand later this year.

“We believe the adoption of natural gas in long haul fleets will be paced by a variety of factors beyond the engine and include fuel tank technology and public fueling infrastructure.”