INDIANAPOLIS – Cummins, Inc., confirmed during the STN EXPO East conference that the company will not be offering propane as part of the new fuel agnostic medium-duty engine.
When announcing the fuel agnostic line in February 2022, the company said changing the fuel components above the head gasket on a base engine for a “high degree of parts commonality.”
It stated it would roll out the new engine for multiple fuels, starting with octane or gasoline and adding propane about a year later. Cummins confirmed this week it will go into limited production of the octane medium-duty engine in late 2025 with full production starting the following year.
But propane will not follow, citing business reasons, namely an intent to refine its diesel engine amid EPA GHG Phase 3 regulations that go into effect for the 2027 model year and to pursue the development of hydrogen.
Currently, Blue Bird is the only school bus manufacturer to offer a propane autogas system, which is developed by ROUSH CleanTech for the Ford 6.8L V10 and 7.3L V8 engines. Emissions already meet the EPA goal of 0.02 grams per brake horsepower per hour of NOx.
Blue Bird and ROUSH recently announced the exclusive partnership would continue through 2030. The companies began working together in 2010.
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