Ahead of Tesla semis, Cummins shows off all-electric powertrain concept

The Cummins Aeos electric truck cab.
Cummins
Here's a rendering of a side view of the electric truck cab.
Cummins
Cummins' diesel X15 engine.
Cummins

This week, diesel truck engine company Cummins made an unusual announcement. In addition to several new high-efficiency diesel engines, it also showed off an all-electric truck called the Concept Class 7 Urban Hauler EV. The truck is just a concept at the moment, but it’s coming in the nick of time—just as Tesla is about to announce its own semi EV.

The 18,000-pound tractor cab, built by Roush, comes with a 140kWh battery and is capable of hauling a 22-ton trailer. According to Forbes, Cummins hopes to be able to sell its battery to truck and bus manufacturers by 2019. Forbes says the truck can run for 100 miles and be recharged in an hour, although Cummins is allegedly working on improving the battery so that by 2020, that recharge time is reduced to 20 minutes.

In a press release, Cummins also said that its EV would come with a diesel-engine generator that could extend the range of the battery to 300 miles, which would offer 50-percent fuel savings compared to straight diesel trucks.

Cummins’ news comes just after Reuters reported that Tesla’s electric semis will likely have a range of 200 to 300 miles and come with autonomous functions. The trucking industry is a major polluter, and electrification is seen as an important component in reducing greenhouse gases from that sector, in addition to implementing fuel efficiency measures.

There are several well-established companies already making electric and hybrid-electric buses and garbage trucks, like Wrightspeed and Proterra, although heavy-duty trucking has remained a difficult sector to electrify because trucks generally need to be capable of high speeds and must have the ability to haul a lot of weight.

Cummins also revealed some diesel and alternative fuel engines this week. Diesel’s reputation has suffered in the US after a series of scandals involving Volkswagen and Audi passenger cars cheating on federal emissions tests. But Cummins says its “clean diesel” engines are the real deal and built with the understanding that “for many markets diesel engines will be the best solution for decades to come.”

To that end, Cummins announced the X15 and lightweight X12 engines, which will offer competitive fuel economy through the “use of advanced air handling and fuel system controls.” The company will offer a comparable heavy-duty diesel engine in 2022.

Cummins also said it was working on a “high-efficiency spark-ignited technology” to help liquid fuels, like ethanol, methanol, and gasoline, operate as efficiently as diesel for trucks. “Cummins continues to investigate the viability of alternatives like bio-fuels, synthetic fuels and hydrogen,” the company wrote. The company says it has also "invested in exploratory projects focused on Proton Exchange Membrane and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technologies.”

Finally, the company showed off a natural gas engine that reduces the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions given off by the truck significantly.

Listing image by Cummins

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