[IMAGE]MCI-10.jpg[/IMAGE]Motor Coach Industries (MCI) announced its new coach models will now feature the 2010 EPA-compliant Cummins ISX 11.9L engines as standard equipment with options including the Detroit Diesel DD 13 engine on MCI J4500 and E4500 coaches and a Cummins 8.9L on D-Series coaches. According to the engine manufacturers, these new EPA-compliant 2010 engines promise a new level of eco-friendly power and fuel savings.

The 2010 Cummins ISX 11.9L engine operates with technology similar to that introduced in 2007, using a particulate filter and regeneration process to reduce Particulate Matter (PM). For 2010, the Cummins engine uses Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) as its aftertreatment system to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions.

Cummins estimates the ISX 11.9 L engine will have up to 5 percent improved fuel efficiency compared to 2007 engines depending on the duty cycle. The engine uses ULSD and is compatible with B20 Biodiesel fuel.

"SCR is a proven emission control technology," said Paul Fazio, MCI director of product development. "NOx levels are reduced through the use of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and a decomposition reactor that converts DEF into ammonia through hydrolysis. Pollutants are turned into nitrogen, water and carbon dioxide for near-zero emissions."

Fazio reported that DEF freezes when temperatures fall below 11 degree Fahrenheit (-12 degrees Celsius).  He noted, however, that MCI coaches have been engineered to start up the engine in a normal manner in very cold weather and any frozen DEF will quickly and harmlessly return to a liquid state.

MCI dash gauges indicate DEF level, with attendant low-DEF alerts. MCI estimates that a full DEF tank may last more than 4,000 miles. 

The company also has re-engineered its cooling packages for all 2011 model year coaches to accommodate the 2010 engines. The D-Series now has a single fan with a three-speed clutch and a shorter belt, offering less vibration. All of MCIs radiators are now constructed from lightweight, corrosion resistant aluminum cores and glass reinforced nylon tanks to provide the optimum cooling performance while significantly reducing weight.