Diesel Giant Cummins Unveils Class 7 Electric Truck Prototype

Cummins, one of the world's major truck engine developers and a giant in the heavy-duty diesel arena, has looked to electric power as part of its long-term strategy.

The company unveiled an electric drive system — with an optional clean diesel engine serving as a range-extending generator — during a next-generation technologies showcase at its technical center in Columbus, Indiana. The powertrain was installed in a prototype Class 7 "urban hauler" electric tractor aimed at the local freight delivery and drayage markets.

Because of its size and standing in the industry, Cummins' venture into electrification is significant, said John Boesel, chief executive of clean-transportation incubator Calstart. "Cummins is making a smart move by diversifying its powertrain portfolio," he said. The effort underscores growing industry acceptance of electric power.

From Prototype to Product Line

While the truck was a prototype, Cummins said it would begin building electric powertrains for the transit bus market, and buses were just the start. The company intended to bring electrified powertrains into all of its product lines as market conditions dictate, said Julie Ferber, chief of Cummins' electrification program.

The prototype's 140-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack could provide up to 100 miles of range on a single charge. Adding extra batteries could increase all-electric range to 300 miles, and the optional range-extending diesel generator could add another 500 miles. Cummins said the electric truck's efficiency was equivalent to 30 miles per gallon for a standard diesel Class 7 truck.

Cleaner Trucks, Cleaner Air

The drive to electrify trucks is rooted in regional and national efforts to reduce diesel emissions. Transportation produces almost a third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and trucking is the segment's second-largest source, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Cummins' powertrain technologies, including battery-electric systems, would let it "respond to changes shaped by the regulatory environment and global concern for air quality and the need for a low-carbon future," said Jennifer Rumsey, the company's chief technical officer.

Calstart sees electric trucks in the heavier Class 7 and 8 categories as a slow-growing but important addition to the clean-transportation arsenal. Cummins' use of a low-emissions engine-generator to extend an electric truck's range "is one of the technology architectures we've specifically identified as having a business case," said Bill Van Amburg, Calstart's head of truck programs.

A Diverse Energy Future

Alongside its electric powerplant, Cummins also displayed near-zero-emission compressed natural gas engines and efficient clean diesel engines, and said it would build a new heavy-duty diesel engine to provide an effective power solution for Class 8 linehaul trucks. The company also continued work on hydrogen fuel cells, bio-fuels and synthetic fuels, and an advanced spark-ignited engine able to run on a range of liquid fuels including gasoline, ethanol, and methanol.

"Energy diversity is key to the future, and a one-size-fits-all approach is not viable," Rumsey said.

Cummins was early with a completed all-electric heavy-truck prototype, but not alone. Peterbilt unveiled a Class 8 battery-electric refuse truck, Wrightspeed installed range-extended electric powertrains in Class 8 refuse trucks, Motiv Power Systems built scalable electric powertrains for commercial use, Orange EV built heavy-duty electric drayage tractors, and BYD built Class 5 through Class 8 battery-electric vans and trucks. Tesla, Nikola, Toyota, and Daimler were all developing heavy electric or fuel-cell trucks of their own — a clear signal that electrification was moving from concept to competition across the industry.

Source: Trucks.com