Cummins Venturing into Development of Hybrid and Electric Powertrains

Cummins is a brand that is known for its expertise in diesel powertrains. The company announced recently that it will investing significantly in the development of electrified powertrains, including hybrids and full EVs, and has plans to launch one such powertrain, a full electric one in 2019. In 2020, Cummins has plans a range-extended electric powertrain. While the first such powertrains are likely to be for buses and delivery vehicles, the company will eventually start making engines for trucks and off-highway vehicles.

Many of these electrified powertrains will have a large number of Cummins components like motors, batteries and all of the controlling electronics. The company’s representatives also said that it is open to collaborating with other companies when it comes to components.

According to the chief technical officer for Cummins, the company is changing its strategy in line with the “a trend away from diesel.” This is particularly relevant in view of the growing popularity and availability of electric components and alternative fuel technology, more stringent norms regarding vehicle noise and emissions, and the growing demand for environment friendly vehicles. Cummins is also exploring other alternative fuel technologies like natural gas, hydrogen fuel cell technology and bio and synthetic fuels. Currently, the company is building a natural gas fuel cell to help power a Microsoft data center in Seattle.

Cummins will continue to produce diesel powertrains for quite a while. The chief technical officer for Cummins said “diesel will continue to play a significant role in some of our markets for a long time.”