SONOMA, Ca. – Cummins Westport Inc. demonstrated its CWI ISX G engine in a Peterbilt 385 tractor at the 2003 Bibendum Challenge.

The engine is a hybrid propulsion system powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Pete is a working truck, one of 14 LNG-powered trucks belonging to the Norcal Waste System fleet, a company hauling waste between San Francisco and the Altamount Pass landfill site daily.

Fears surrounding flammability are addressed by safety features on the tank’s fueling chamber, which prevent gas from escaping when a pump nozzle is inserted. Fuel availability isn’t a problem due to the truck’s short-haul application.

According to Cummins Westport, the CWI ISX G natural gas engine not only gets performance and driveability on par with a diesel engine, but operates at 40 per cent lower NOx than current diesels and to 95 per cent lower particulates.

These attributes are of particular interest to the heavy-duty trucking industry, given that in 2007 and 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate emissions (PM) will be getting even more stringent.

Natural gas technology addresses emissions reduction targets.

According to Cummins Westport, driving the ISX G-powered truck is the equivalent of taking 58 cars off the road.

The 14 Cummins Westport ISXG trucks running for Norcal Waste Systems have so far logged two million miles, according to officials.

According to Bennie Anselmo, vice president of equipment and maintenance for Norcal, the trucks have performed well.

“For Norcal, the Westport natural gas fuel system provides a unique combination of values. We obtain the performance our drivers require, low-emissions that our community requires, and the operational efficiency that our company requires.”

For more information on ISXG natural gas powered engines visit www.cumminswestport.com