EcoDual LLC, a provider of dual fuel conversion systems for heavy duty diesel trucks, has achieved authorization from the EPA to begin installing its systems on 2004 to 2009 Cummins ISX engines.
The EcoDual conversion kit currently works with the 15L Cummins ISX engine - one of the most widely used engines in heavy duty trucking with more than 1 million currently in service, according to Eco Dual.
After conversion, existing diesel engines can operate on up to 85 percent natural gas, providing fuel cost savings. The cost of the dual fuel system can be recovered in these operational savings within one year without any government incentives, Eco Dual says.
Eco Dual's product achieved its EPA compliance under the EPA's "Outside Useful Life" category for truck engines with more than 435,000 miles, or more than 22,000 hours of operation, or are more than 10 years old. Over the next 12 months, EcoDual will be releasing multiple systems certified for newer trucks with the Cummins ISX and other engine families from Detroit Diesel, Mack and Caterpillar.
In January, Waste Management announced a pilot program to introduce natural gas powered Rotopress waste collection trailers while BAE Systems and Caterpillar Inc. signed a long-term supply agreement to collaborate on an energy-efficient parallel hybrid propulsion system for heavy-duty trucks.
