CORE engine runs on alternative fuels

AGCO Power is a global diesel engine manufacturer for tractor brands such as Fendt, Valtra and Massey Ferguson, as well as other heavy machinery. The company has developed a completely new family of diesel engines called CORE, designed with tomorrow’s alternative fuels in mind.

Reducing carbon emissions is a common goal for all machine manufacturers. The current AGCO Power diesel engines are fully compatible with renewable HVO fuels (hydrotreated vegetable oil), which can already bring them close to carbon-neutral operation. But the alternative future fuels such as hydrogen and gas require an engine that is designed from ground-up to be compatible with them. What is groundbreaking about the new CORE engine family, is that by further developing the engines they will be compatible with those fuels.

“Alternative fuels of the future such as hydrogen, ethanol, methanol, biogas as well as electric hybrid applications set new demands for an engine,” says AGCO Power CEO Juha Tervala. “The CORE engine platform is designed to enable the use of alternative fuels with further development.”

Clean diesel engines

What is special about all the current AGCO Power engines is that they fulfil even emission standards by a large margin. “Today, the primary challenge of product development is to get rid of the fossil carbon or at least to radically reduce it. During the past couple of decades, we at AGCO Power have managed to reduce the emissions of the most harmful particulates and nitrogen oxide down to a fraction of the level they were a decade ago”, explains AGCO Power’s Director of Engineering, Kari Aaltonen.

After more than a century of service, diesel engines are still the most practical alternative in many applications. While the electric vehicles are taking roads by storm, the battery capacity just is not yet sufficient in off-road machinery applications – except for the most compact machinery (less than 50 kW). The high energy density of diesel fuel and the high efficiency of the engines make sure the technology is still competitive.

CORE75 in Fendt 700 Vario Gen7

The first engine in the CORE range is the CORE75 – a 7.5-liter, 223-kW unit with excellent torque, fuel economy and reliability. It is first used in the brand-new Fendt 700 Vario Gen7 tractor.

“AGCO Power’s engine designers have worked extensively with Fendt engineers to develop the new CORE75 engine for the Fendt 700 Vario Gen7 tractor. It has excellent low-speed performance, and fits perfectly with the Fendt Vario transmission. The engine’s innovative design results in additional benefits, such as improved turning radius and higher ground clearance. We look forward to future additions to the CORE engine platform for Fendt machines”, says Walter Wagner, Vice President and Managing Director Research & Development & Purchase.

Groundbreaking features

Entering serial production in the Linnavuori factory by the end of 2022, the new CORE75 engine has some of the most advanced features in the market today.

“AGCO Power CORE75 delivers 1450 Nm of torque, the highest in its power class. The engine is designed to offer maximal torque at 1300 RPM instead of the more typical 1500 RPM. This low-speed concept enables the best fuel economy in the market today in its power class – 188 g / kWh”, Kari Aaltonen tells proudly.

The CORE75 has been designed from ground up to be robust, while having fewer parts. This simplified design makes the engine more reliable and easier to service. With its advanced EAT (Emission After Treatment) system, the CORE75 is designed to meet the most stringent emission standards without the need for EGR (Exhaust Gas Circulation) system. “The new engine is also compatible with the renewable HVO fuels, enabling up to 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions”, Aaltonen ends.