In spite of its efficiency and now-virtually smokeless performance, the diesel engine is still under fire from clean-air advocates. The trouble is, the steps engine developers are taking to reduce harmful emissions have hurt fuel economy–hardly the desired effect.

One company that’s poised to benefit from current fuel price and regulatory pressures is Cummins Westport, the joint venture of Cummins and Westport Innovations of Vancouver. It takes diesel engines made by Cummins, converts them to natural gas, and markets them to vocational and municipal fleets.

Last month, Cummins Westport rolled out its L Gas Plus natural gas engine to refuse haulers at a trade show in Dallas. At 8.9 litres, the engine produces 320 horsepower at 2,300 rpm and 1,000 foot-pounds of torque at 1,400 rpm–plenty for most heavy-duty refuse trucks, municipal works trucks, and transit buses. Furthermore, a variable geometry turbocharger provides impressive low-end torque and transient response.

Along with high performance, the L Gas Plus offers best-in-class emissions at 1.4 grams per brake-horsepower hour of oxides of nitrogen (g/bhp-hr NOx) plus non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) and 0.01 g/bhp-hr particulate matter (PM). Relative to current government standards, the engine emits 40 per cent less NOx + NMHC and 90 per cent less particulate matter.

For details, call 604/718-8100 or visit www.cumminswestport.com.