CHICAGO, Ill. — Cummins participated in a hearing on the proposed US government-mandated fuel economy standards yesterday, claiming it would support the initiative and is confident it can meet the targets on time.

“While we are still working through the details of the proposal and are preparing written comments on specific aspects, we support the time line laid out by President Barack Obama to finalize this rule by July 30, 2011, and deliver improvements over the 2014-to-2018 time frame,” said Stephen Charlton, chief technical officer, engine business and vice-president of Cummins. “The rule and these benefits can be delivered in this short time frame because many of the building blocks already exist.”

Charlton lauded the framework of the proposal, which includes separate engine and vehicle targets.

“We strongly support this regulatory structure,” Charlton said. “By building on our long history of working together, and by utilizing existing programs where possible, we can together deliver the greenhouse gas and fuel-consumption benefits envisioned in this rulemaking. We appreciate the open and collaborative process that the EPA and NHTSA have used in proposing this historic regulation. We look forward to continuing to work with the agencies over the coming months to develop a final rule.”

Charlton’s full comments are available here.