In response to growing customer demand amid tightening emission regulations, Cummins announced today the industry’s first fuel-agnostic internal combustion powertrains.
Developed for pickups to Class 8 long-haul, the carbon-cutting powertrains are meant to be a bridge to their zero-emission all-electric and fuel cell offerings which the company acknowledges may not be an ideal fit currently for all fleets given higher upfront costs, range issues and fuel infrastructure challenges.
Cummins’ biggest embrace yet of a growing menu of low carbon fuels will be applied across their B Series, L Series and X Series engine lineup. Fuel choices will include diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, propane or gasoline. Once spec’d, engines will run on one fuel only.
The first engine expected to roll out in 2024 will be a 6.7-liter gasoline-ready option, which Cummins sees as a good fit for pickups and other vehicles needing “diesel-like durability and performance,” according to Cummins’ president of engine business Srikanth Padmanabhan.
[Related: Cummins acquires half of Momentum Fuel Technologies]
The next engine will be a 15-liter engine capable of running on natural gas. Diesel will come next followed by a hydrogen-fueled variant.
