Rolls-Royce and Claas sign a project agreement to supply MTU engine. (Image source: 4028mdk09/Commons)

Rolls-Royce and Claas have signed a project agreement to supply MTU engines to be used in its agricultural vehicles from 2019

Luxury car and aviation engine manufacturers Rolls-Royce have signed a project agreement with agricultural vehicle experts Claas to supply MTU series 1000 to 1500 engines for use in its combine harvesters, forage harvesters and 4x4, high horsepower tractors from 2019. These engines will comply with the European Unions Stage V emissions standards which will come into force in 2019. 

The new engines to be fitted into the new Claas agricultural vehicles are the improved versions of the MTU Series 1000 to 1500, which will be fitted into its Lexion and Tucano combine-harvesters, its Jaguar forage harvester and its 4x4 high-horsepower tractor Xerion. MTU’s Series 1000 to 1500 are based on Daimler OM 93x and OM 47x commercial vehicle engines and cover a broad power range from 100 to 480 kW. From 2019, 4,000 to 5,000 engines are to be supplied per year across all series and emissions levels. The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Bernd Kleffmann, Head of Systems Engineering Development at Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH, said, “With an eye, among other things, to the EU Stage V Emissions Directive, we have decided in favour of these tried-and-trusted engines from MTU to power a large proportion of our vehicles. We already have over 10 field-trial vehicles fitted with EU Stage V MTU engines and are very satisfied with them.”

Bernd Krüper, Vice President Industrial Business including Construction and Agriculture at MTU, said, “We are delighted at winning one of the most renowned agricultural machinery manufacturers for the EU Stage V engines we’ve introduced. This is a continuation of our long-standing success story with Claas.”