International adds Cummins ISB to medium-duty lineup

International’s DuraStar

International announced during a telephone press conference today, September, 3, 2013, that it is adding the Cummins ISB, 6.7 liter, medium-duty engine as an option for its DuraStar and IC Bus CE Bus models.

According to Bill Kozek, president, North American Truck and Parts, International will continue to build and offer its proprietary DT and MaxxForce 7 medium-duty engines with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology for the foreseeable future, calling the addition of the Cummins ISB with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology an important part of the company’s ongoing diesel emissions product strategy.

“The Cummins ISB is a first step in this strategy,” Kozek said, “which closely mirrors the highly successful playbook we have used with our heavy-duty diesel engine emission solution.”

According to Kozek, International has opted to bring the Cummins ISB onboard as a medium-duty engine option for three reasons. “First, it allows us to go to the market today with a proven, medium-duty SCR solution,” he noted. “Second, the Cummins ISB is proven, mature and accepted technology with over 10 million units on the road today that our customers know and are familiar with. And third, we have an existing, proven track record with the ISB thanks to our Blue Diamond partnership with Ford in Central and South America.”

Kozek says the ISB addition will open the door to new medium-duty customers while strengthening its ties with existing ones. The company is taking ISB orders now, with DuraStar deliveries scheduled to begin in December and IC bus delivers slated to begin in January 2014.

In other news ahead of a scheduled Quarterly Earnings Report tomorrow, Kozek noted that International Class 8 sales so far this year include 10,000 ProStar+ units with Cummins ISX 15 power and another 4,500 units spec’d with MaxxForce 13 diesel engines. Kozek says these numbers translate to 20 percent retail marketshare in that class and denote “increasing customer confidence in our emissions solution and the value proposition our vehicles deliver.”