Rolls-Royce and Claas have signed a follow-up agreement covering supply of mtu engines in the years ahead. The agreement seals the continuation of the highly successful partnership enjoyed by the two companies. Each year, Claas shall purchase from Rolls-Royce several thousand mtu engines from Series 1000 to 1500 which it shall use to power its Lexion and Tucano combine harvesters, Jaguar forage harvesters and Xerion large tractors. The order volume will bring revenues in the mid three-digit million euros range. 

mtu 6R 1000, 6R 1100, 6R 1300 and 6R 1500 are delegated assembly units based on Daimler’s OM 93x and OM 47x utility vehicle engines and cover power outputs from 180-480 kW (241-644 horsepower). They also meet the requirements of the EU-Stage V emissions standard in place since 2019.

“We laid the foundations for continuing our cooperation in the intensive field tests we performed for certification, which primarily took place at Claas. By coordinating with each other closely from a very early stage, we improved our engine platforms, also adding a diesel particulate filter to the SCR system to ensure compliance with the strict emission limits,” explained Stefan Rudert, director C&I and Agriculture Business at Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems. In addition to EU-Stage V, the engines can be optionally purchased with dual certification for compliance with the Tier 4 final standard valid in the US and Canada. “That gives vehicle manufacturers greater flexibility in sales and helps purchasers on the secondary market. We’re also working on solutions that will enable us to break into other international markets with Claas using our existing engine platforms,” said Rudert. 

Around half of the grain-harvesting machines built by Claas are powered by mtu engines. Series 1000 to 1500 engines were designed in collaboration with Daimler for off-highway purposes and modified for agricultural applications.