NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cummins has announced it is now positioned to meet Californias stringent new idle reduction legislation slated to take effect in January.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will be enforcing rules as of Jan. 1, 2008 which will require new trucks to have a tamper-proof automatic shutdown system that prevents trucks from idling more than five minutes unless they have NOx idle emissions of 30 grams per hour or less. Cummins said its 2008 engines will emit fewer than 30 grams of NOx per hour, meaning they can be idled indefinitely under the impending CARB standards.

The company expects the CARB-compliant engine to appeal to customers that depend on idling to provide in-cab climate control, such as truckload fleets and owner/operators.

Cummins also announced its ComfortGuard auxiliary power unit (APU) will also meet new CARB regulations requiring such devices to have exhaust aftertreatment systems. The revamped ComfortGuard will be available with either: a stand-alone particulate filter; or an installation kit that allows the APUs diesel exhaust gas to be routed through the Cummins engine DPF.

Cummins clean idle approach is yet another example of Cummins innovative technology, said Jeff Jones, vice-president, sales and market communications with Cummins. It allows our customers to idle in California and still comply with the regulations. It also provides the flexibility for customers who infrequently need to idle more than five minutes.