Eaton and Cummins announced at TMC they are broadening their powertrain collaboration to include new offerings. And in the process, they’re bumping the GVWR allowance for the SmartAdvantage package, consisting of the ISX15 and UltraShift Plus, to 110,000 lbs. This combo was first announced at last year’s TMC and now has 80 customers, though none yet in Canada. Bumping up the GVWR to 100,000 lbs is likely to change that, as it was previously limited to 80,000 lbs.

Lori Thompson, Cummins vice-president, truck and bus OEM business, said the integrated powertrain has been well received in the US. John Beering, sr. v.p. and g.m., commercial vehicle transmission business with Eaton, added the 3-6% fuel savings promised by the companies has in many cases been exceeded. “The common feedback has been one of supreme satisfaction,” he said during a media briefing prior to the Technology & Maintenance Council meetings in Nashville.

Both companies brought some fuel savings to the table through the SmartAdvantage partnership. Cummins’ ISX15 produces excellent low-end torque and as a result, spends more time running in the sweet spot and the new UltraShift Plus is about 80 lbs lighter than previous versions, due to the use of aluminum parts and a new precision lube system that eliminated the need for an oil cooler.

The companies also announced a new 12-litre version of the SmartAdvantage package will be offered in the second half of this year. And they also announced the availability of the UltraShift Plus automated manual transmission with the ISX12 G natural gas engine, marking the first time an automated manual has been approved for use with a spark-ignited natural gas engine.