ATLANTA, Ga. — As the first OEM to announce it will meet EPA2010 emissions standards on its medium-duty engines without selective catalytic reduction (SCR), International officials say they’re poised to continue their leadership in the Class 6 and 7 segments.

Steve Guillaume, general manager, medium truck group with International, said the company’s ability to meet the stringent 2010 emissions standards without NOx aftertreatment “is something we’re very proud of.”

International claims it can meet EPA2010 emissions standards on its medium-duty MaxxForce engines by tinkering the fuel system, air management, combustion processes and controls.

Guillaume said International has led the industry in Class 6 and 7 sales for 18 straight years.

“We take great pride that, by a wide margin, more customers have purchased an International Class 6 or 7 truck this year than any other brand,” Guillaume said. He attributed International’s recent success to the launch of the DuraStar and MaxxForce engine, which he claimed delivered 9-13% better fuel economy than legacy products in 2007.

“Fuel costs are an increasingly major concern to customers who rely on medium-duty trucks,” said Guillaume. “We have designed the International DuraStar to work together with our new MaxxForce engines to improve fuel economy and ultimately help customers better manage fuel costs.”

In field testing, the MaxxForce 7 demonstrated a 13% fuel mileage improvement over its predecessor, the VT 365. The MaxxForce DT, meanwhile, showed a 9% improvement over the International DT 466.

Guillaume said International plans to continue developing medium-duty hybrid solutions, which promise to offer even greater fuel savings.

“Our goal is to sell 1,000 DuraStar hybrids this year,” Guillaume told reporters at the Work Truck Show this afternoon. While the up-charge on a medium-duty hybrid is as much as US$45,000 (add another US$15,000 for an electronic PTO), Guillaume said government incentives are beginning to make them more viable, at least in the US where such incentives are available. He suggested that by 2010, increased volumes could bring down the cost of hybrids by 50%.

International also showcased its RouteMax cold plate refrigeration system for medium-duty trucks at the show. Guillaume said the RouteMax cuts fuel consumption by 1,500 gallons per year compared to traditional reefer systems, resulting in an annual savings of US$5,000-$6,000. The company has sold 200 units to date and hopes to ramp up to 800 to 1,000 units this year, Guillaume said.