Kohler Introduces Industry’s First Flex-Fuel EFI Engine

Kohler Introduces Industry’s First Flex-Fuel EFI Engine

And, brings EFI to all Command PRO & Aegis twins as standard offering

KOHLER, Wis. – October 2008 – Fuel efficient, cleaner burning engines will soon be the standard – not an option – on all KOHLER Command PRO® and Aegis® twin-cylinder engines.

            Starting with its Command PRO 30 gasoline, twin-cylinder model in March, Kohler will introduce the first flex-fuel, electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine. Over the next two years, Kohler will convert its entire Command PRO air-cooled and Aegis liquid-cooled engines with this technology. And at a competitive price with traditional carbureted engines.  

            KOHLER flex-fuel EFI models will be available on 26 twin-cylinder models ranging from 19-41 hp, and will operate efficiently and without excessive wear on the engine when E-85 or any other alternative fuel is used. An additional benefit of the new Kohler flex-fuel EFI engines is instant load response. The Kohler exclusive EFI system allows the engine to respond with peak Kohler performance even in changing altitudes and load requirements, which in turn, operates at top efficiency.

            Kohler also designed this new line of engines within the same footprint as its current Command PRO and Aegis models, so that OEMs can easily drop in the newest Kohler engine without altering the end equipment design to accommodate the engine.

            This is accommodated by Kohler’s exclusive self-contained EFI design, which features only one fuel line rather than an additional return fuel line with a special harness. The fuel module, electronic control unit and sensors are also all engine-mounted.

            Also true to Kohler Engines, the “closed-loop” system will continue to be a standard feature on these new engines. In most EFI engines, when an EFI engine is started, it operates in an “open loop” mode mapped by the electronic control unit (ECU). Only KOHLER EFI engines include an oxygen sensor that analyzes the air/fuel mixture in the exhaust. If the oxygen level strays from the ideal air/fuel mixture, the sensor triggers adjustments in the ECU map to adjust the amount of fuel injected into the system. Only KOHLER EFI engines then “close the loop” between the air/fuel intake and the exhaust output to provide a constant steam of critical feedback - and optimal power and fuel economy. The closed loop advantage also means that only KOHLER EFI engines automatically adapt to air cleaner conditions and altitude changes.

            Kohler was the first small-engine manufacturer to introduce EFI with closed loop on its engines in the mid 1990s, featuring the EFI system as an option and just a few select air- and liquid-cooled models, which carried a higher price tag over its carbureted models. Since then, KOHLER has found a way to take the EFI technology – long used in the automotive industry – and integrate it among multiple horsepower levels at an extremely competitive price.

Within the Kohler Global Power Group, Kohler Co. and its affiliate Lombardini, Srl manufacture gasoline engines from 4-40 HP, and diesel engines from 7-67 HP marketed worldwide under the brand names KOHLER and LOMBARDINI.  Also within the Kohler Global Power Group are Kohler Power Systems and affiliate SDMO Industries S.A.S, manufacturing generators (marine, residential, industrial and mobile) that are marketed worldwide under the brands KOHLER and SDMO. The group’s Kohler Rental business provides temporary power, climate control and luxury restrooms to the industrial, commercial, disaster recovery and event markets throughout the U.S.

            Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin-USA, Kohler Co. is one of the oldest and largest privately-held companies in the United States.  Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors, and international host to award-winning hospitality and world-class golf destinations.             &nb sp;                         &nb sp;                        

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Command PRO Flex Fuel EFI Engine, Horizontal Shaft (30 hp)