Cummins Announces New Powerhouse Engine: The X15

The big news of the day in the trucking world came from the world’s largest engine manufacturer, Cummins Inc. The company unveiled their newest Heavy Duty Truck engine the: X15. The X15 is the newest engine in the much loved ISX product line. The X15 is the successor to the proven workhorse ISX15. The X15 is an upgrade to the ISX15 with an optimized compression ratio, air handling system and combustion process to deliver 25% better fuel economy and up to 30%-40% lower maintenance costs. This class-8 motor is only one of many new engines being developed by the big manufacturers such as Caterpillar, MTU, Paccar and Volvo. Much of this technological advancement was fueled by regulatory changes regarding carbon emissions. The X15 was developed to meet the 2017 EPA greenhouse gas emission control standards also known as the Tier Rating system.

The X15 engine comes in a variety of different models between 485 to 604 hp and producing a whopping 2,050 lb-ft of torque and 600 hp braking power. That is a lot of towing and stopping power! You can view the torque vs. RPM chart of the X15 here. Overall, Cummins made many new internal changes to improve the performance on the X15 Performance engine, including a high-flow EGR cooler and piston cooling nozzles as well as redesigned exhaust valves to improve reliability. The X15 is more computer than machine is some respects coming equipped with a telematics system which allows for remote on the fly programming to respond to field conditions on the road.

The X15 also comes with almost double the amount of diagnostics and customization options over the ISX15. Cummins has created their Connected Solutions Program where drivers and fleet managers can update the engine in real time without ever having to bring the truck into the dealer. Some in in the industry aren’t as thrilled as others about the new engine stating potential problems with emissions control systems, sensors and technological glitches. Many in the industry still prefer the older mechanical engines that worked as needed without the hassles of updates and glitches. That being said the X15 is an impressive engine. The engine, along with the smaller X12 series, enters into limited production in Jamestown, New York in late 2016 with full production starting after the first of the year.