PEORIA, Ill., (June 12, 2003) — Caterpillar has received official certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the company’s heavy-duty C15 engine.

The engine, which uses Cat’s ACERT technology rather than exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), is the third to be certified by the EPA, and first 2004 model clean diesel engine to be EPA-compliant, the company says. Full production of the engine, offered in the 435 to 550 horsepower range, will begin in the third quarter of this year.

Earlier this year, the Caterpillar C7 and C9 engines were certified for use in on-highway trucks, school buses and transit buses.

While Cat began working on a EGR engine like most engine makers to comply with last year’s strict emission standards, it opted for ACERT a year before the Oct. ’02 deadline.
ACERT is based on exhaust aftertreatment, changes in the turbocharger and fuel injection system, and the addition of a fuel temperature stabilization system.