New CAT Trucks Managing Director Bill Fulton says the company wants ADR80/03 certification for its C15 heavy duty engine
By Gary Worrall | September 19, 2011
With a significant number of its CT610 and CT630 trucks remaining unsold in Australia, new CAT Trucks Managing Director Bill Fulton says the company wants ADR80/03 certification for its C15 heavy duty engine.
With the engine only currently certified as ADR80/02 compliant, CAT Trucks faces an uphill battle to clear its unsold trucks when competitors can offer a similar specification with current ADR 80/03 certification.
Fulton acknowledges recertifying the ACERT C15 will not allow the unsold trucks to be plated as 2011 product but he believes it will ease the burden on sales staff if they have an engine that meets current emission regulations.
“We have submitted the 15-litre engine for ADR80/03 compliance. We have taken the C15 and optimised the software for ADR80/03,” Fulton says.
“We have also added a diesel particulate filter (DPF) with passive regeneration only, not active regeneration. Our in-house testing says it will meet NOx requirements, producing 550 horsepower and 1850ft/lb (410kW/2500Nm) of torque.”
Fulton says there are currently engines undergoing field testing to ensure compliance at all performance levels, including ongoing low engine load and low operating temperature tests.
With more CT630 models remaining unsold – although Fulton says both models are selling at roughly the same rate – it is possible CAT Trucks could choose to recertify the unsold trucks as ADR80/03 compliant.
With the first purpose-built ADR80/03 compliant models not scheduled to arrive in Australia until as late as October 2012, Fulton says the rate of sales should ensure sufficient stocks of current models remain so the company does not run out of trucks.
Fulton remains tight-lipped on the design and specification of the new model. Although NC2 in the USA is developing a world class cab-over truck, he says no decision has been made if it will be sold in Australia despite North America virtually abandoning COE design in favour of bonneted trucks.
Fulton did confirm the company’s new 13-litre offering would be an EGR-only engine, meeting all ARD 80/03 requirements and with similar power levels to the current engine, to be offered alongside the revamped ACERT C15 engine.