Environmental progress achieved by Cummins Inc. was displayed as part of a visit by President Bush to the Virginia Biodiesel Refinery in West Point, Virginia. A Cummins-powered Dodge Ram pickup truck with a full tank of B5 biodiesel featured as part of the display at the Refinery to highlight to the President the increasing availability of B5 biodiesel-capable vehicles.
"President Bush and his administration are making an important contribution to promoting the wider use of both diesel and biodiesel fuel," said Christine Vujovich, Cummins Vice President - Marketing and Environmental Policy. "The increased use of diesel engines will help to reduce the nation's dependency on imported oil and enhance our energy security. At the same time, the use of biodiesel will bring economic opportunities to America's farmers." Use of B5 biodiesel will further enhance the credentials of the latest Cummins 610 Turbo Diesel in the Dodge Ram pickup truck. With 610 lb-ft of torque available and 325 hp rated power, the Cummins engine has more performance than other comparable diesels for customers who demand durable and dependable power.
Jeff Caldwell, Cummins Executive Director - DaimlerChrysler Business, said, "The option of running the Cummins 610 Turbo Diesel with B5 biodiesel in the Dodge Ram will be seen as a significant step forward in encouraging greater use of renewable fuel. This is a popular engine – last year Cummins produced over 150,000 of the 610 Turbo Diesel engines for DaimlerChrysler, who manufactures the Dodge Ram. DaimlerChrysler is to be commended for taking a leading role in helping the nation to reduce its dependency on imported oil."
Pure biodiesel is a natural substance derived from soybean and other oil seed crops grown in the U.S. that is both biodegradable and environmentally sustainable. B5 biodiesel is a fuel blend of 5 percent pure biodiesel with 95 percent standard petroleum diesel, and is the most commonly acceptable specification for heavy-duty engines. The use of biodiesel has grown dramatically from just 500,000 gallons in 1999 to 30 million gallons in 2004. Estimates now anticipate an annual demand of 5 billion gallons by 2012 for renewable fuels, including both biodiesel and ethanol in North America.