Eaton and Cummins Expand SmartAdvantage Powertrain Offerings Giving Fleets the Power to Choose

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Power management company Eaton in collaboration with Cummins have expanded their lineup of integrated ISX15 SmartAdvantage Powertrains to provide customers with additional choices tailored to their unique application and operations.  A new SmartAdvantage direct drive ratio is now available, and new engine ratings for the small-step overdrive ratios are being announced.

The new SmartAdvantage direct drive ratio is available in Cummins ISX15 400 HP and 450 HP ratings with 1550/1750 ft.-lbs. torque-rating, ensuring optimal performance at lower rpm when combined with a 2.26 or 2.28 axle ratio.  This package is the ideal solution for line haul or regional haul applications that operate in flat and hilly road terrains at cruise speeds in the 50 to 62 MPH range.

Launched in 2013, the SmartAdvantage powertrain with small-step technology is now available with new 400 HP and 420 HP ratings that provide customers with additional options beyond the original 450 HP rating.   Small-step technology provides the benefits of a direct drive and an overdrive transmission configuration and is ideal where cruising speeds exceed 62 MPH or where vehicles spend a high percentage of time (75 percent or more) at a set cruise speed.

The new SmartAdvantage Powertrain options continue to  leverage the diesel engine’s torque and efficiency with technology that enables downspeeding.  Downspeeding refers to engine operation at a lower rpm while cruising at a certain speed for fuel savings. Today’s line haul and regional haul fleets are spec’ing down sped powertrains to  maximize fuel efficiency, and only the SmartAdvantage Powertrain offers industry-leading downspeeding in both small-step overdrive and now direct drive transmission ratios, allowing fleets to choose the best ratio for their application, cruise speed and terrain.

The Eaton Fuller Advantage Series 10 Speed transmissions feature a 26 percent step between 9th and 10th gears to maximize downspeeding in the small-step overdrive model by keeping the engine in its “sweet spot” for maximum fuel economy. Fuller Advantage transmissions address friction loses every 100 rpm of engine downspeeding, bolster fuel efficiency by approximately one percent, and provide customers with increased cost savings.

Cummins pioneered the 15L engine and power rating optimization for linehaul applications. The 2015 ISX15 incorporates several product enhancements, including class leading low-end torque available at 1,000 RPMs and ADEPT, a suite of innovative electronic control features that optimize driver performance and asset protection.