KIRKLAND, Wash. — Kenworth reported today it has factory-installed more than 500 Caterpillar C15 engines with ACERT technology.

“We began installing ACERT-equipped engines this summer as part of the ramp-up to full production by Caterpillar,” said Steve Gilligan, Kenworth’s general marketing manager. “There were many early adopters who wanted to gain experience with the engine and see for themselves how it performs. Results have been positive and we’ve seen many repeat customers in a short amount of time which further validates user acceptance of this new technology.”

Kenworth worked closely with Caterpillar long before the first test units were available. “That allowed our engineers to develop a cooling system and installation package that worked as a system between truck and engine,” said Jim Bechtold, Kenworth’s chief engineer. “Our challenge with ACERT was to develop cooling packages that could handle over 550 horsepower, heavy gross vehicle weights and steep grades. We came up with a cooling system that is optimized for customer application in even extreme applications.”

Kenworth is also taking customer orders for the C13 and C11 engines with ACERT technology, which will replace the C12 and C10 engines, respectively.

Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com.