Independent Fuel Tests Reveal Fuel Economy Advantage
for Cat^® Engines with ACERT™ Technology

Recent fuel tests comparing a Caterpillar^® engine to a competitive engine with cooled-EGR showed the Cat^® engine with ACERT™ Technology delivered more than five percent better fuel economy.

In late 2005, a fuel test conducted by an independent consultant found that the Cat C15 achieved 5.8 percent better fuel economy than the Cummins ISX. The two-day test run from Denver to San Antonio compared vehicles specified to manufacturers' recommendations pulling identical 53-foot air-ride dry van trailers loaded to 79,000 GVW, driving at posted speed limits. The Cat C15 was a 435 horsepower, multi-torque engine with 1,550-1,750 lb.-ft of torque. The comparable Cummins ISX had a 450 horsepower engine with 1,650 lb-ft. torque. The Cat engine was mated to a 3.25 rear axle and the Cummins with a 3.36 rear axle ratio as recommended.

Two additional tests, using SAE Type III (J1526) test standards, showed 3.2 percent and 3.8 percent better fuel economy for the Cat engine with ACERT Technology.

"These were single unit tests with identical specifications and conditions. The results were verified by the independent consultant who ran the tests," said Greg Gauger, director, Caterpillar On-Highway Power Systems. "It validates what customers have been telling us all along—when you spec them right and drive them right, Cat engines with ACERT Technology get the best fuel economy."

Among the many customers reporting excellent fuel economy for their Cat engines was Wendell Erb of the Erb Group in Baden, Ontario, Canada. "We operate 600 power units, including owner operators," Erb said. "In fuel economy, our pre-emission average miles per imperial gallon was 6.77. Our current fleet average is 6.68. And our engines with ACERT Technology are 6.83 miles per imperial gallon."

Gus Giroux, fleet manager of XTL Transport in Montreal, Canada, reported similar results. "We run a fleet of 200 International trucks. We're 100 percent Cat. Compared to our pre-emission engines, we're getting half a mile per gallon better with the C13s. We're getting 7.5 miles to the imperial gallon, which equals 6.6 miles to the gallon in the U.S. A company our size, we estimate, is going to save approximately a million dollars a year on fuel."

John Lieberkowski, director of purchasing and fleet maintenance, New Century Transportation in West Hampton, New Jersey, has seen similar fuel savings with Cat engine with ACERT Technology. "We're a 600-truck fleet. We haul general commodity in all 48 states. We have about 200 Cat C15 engines with ACERT Technology in our fleet today. If you spec it right and drive it right, you will see fuel economy equal to or better than the pre-emission engines. Our fleet average was close to six miles per gallon, and with adding well over 100 engines with ACERT Technology, our fleet average now is about six and a half miles to a gallon. One-tenth of a mile will save our company $1.2 million in fuel."

Fleets of all sizes, hauling freight of all kinds, are reporting significant fuel savings with Cat engines. "Independent tests are just a way to prove what many of our customers already know—Cat engines with ACERT Technology are outperforming engines with cooled-EGR," Gauger said.

Issue 40 4/13/06
To learn more about Caterpillar On-Highway Engines, please visit:
http://www.cattruckengines.com/.