CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — In a Feb. 20 ceremony at Kenworth’s Chillicothe, Ohio, plant. the truck manufacturer delivered the first T680 day cab tractor with a 15-liter natural gas engine to UPS.
Anthony Marshall, UPS’s vice president of maintenance and engineering, and Dennis Elford, its director of maintenance and engineering, received keys to the truck from Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing, according to a news release.
Also in attendance were Doug VanZuiden, Kenworth Chillicothe plant manager, Kevin Tobin, Kenworth general sales manager and Doug Powell, Kenworth director of fleet management.
The Cummins X15N-equipped Kenworth T680 runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) and is the first of several trucks utilizing the new powerplant that Kenworth is delivering to UPS. The engine produces between 400-500 hp with up to 1,850 pound-feet of torque. The first UPS truck has the engine rated at 400 hp with 1,650 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with an Eaton Endurant HD automated transmission and a 175-diesel gallon equivalent fuel delivery system.
“We’re pleased to lead the way with yet another clean engine option for our customers,” Haygood said. “UPS is a long-time customer and a leader when it comes to using alternative fuel vehicles, purchasing their first natural gas trucks from Kenworth 15 years ago. We couldn’t be happier to have Dennis and Anthony here to receive keys to a T680 with the new Cummins X15N engine.”
The Cummins X15N will meet upcoming (2027) stringent EPA emission requirements and CARB 2024 Low NOx standards, according to Kenworth.
Its CO2 and NOx levels are both 90% below current EPA standards, and it features up to a 10% improvement in fuel economy over Cummins’ 12-liter natural gas engine.
“We’re thrilled to be the first company to acquire the T680 with the X15N 15-liter natural gas engine,” Marshall said. “This new truck enhances our worldwide fleet of over 18,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, which are essential for achieving our target of 40% alternative fuel in our ground operations by 2025 and carbon neutrality by 2050.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
