Cummins seeks to capitalize on future trucking trends

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Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner  /  September 25, 2017

“Dependability” and “innovation” are becoming the engine maker’s watchwords as it prepares to launch a new 15-liter heavy-duty engine in 2022.

ATLANTA. There are three main “disruptions” occurring within the trucking industry today, according to a presentation by Srikanth Padmanabhan, president of the engine business at Cummins Inc., here at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show: energy diversity, connectivity, and automation.

And he believes Cummins must deliver “diversified, dependable technology solutions to our customers at the right time” in all three of those areas – even if they are not directly engine-related.

That’s one reason why Padmanabhan said Cummins forged a transmission development and production joint venture with Eaton Corp. back in April – a joint venture now beginning to bear fruit.

“The opportunities for this joint venture are huge – especially in the medium-duty segment,” he said.

Padmanabhan added that Cummins is planning to roll out a new 15-liter heavy-duty diesel engine in 2022 because, in his words, diesel engines will be “the best solution for decades to come,” noting that Cummins-branded diesels currently power 33% of the heavy-duty truck market and nearly 80% of the medium-duty truck market.

Yet he stressed that “energy diversity” means that customers will be looking for alternative and cheaper ways to power their vehicles.

“Cummins is prepared to help them be successful now and in the future by offering them powertrain choices that maximize efficiency and reduce costs,” Padmanabhan noted, adding that the company plans to display ultra-low emission natural gas engine technology from Cummins Westport and its AEOS all-electric heavy-duty truck at the show.

Connectivity will also be key going forward and is one reason why he said  Cummins formed a new internal organization led by Sherry Aaholm, the company’s chief information officer, back in May called the Digital Accelerator – an internal working group that seeks to streamline innovation, quickly bringing the best concepts from the idea stage to commercialization.

“It’s about giving the customer what they need, when they need it, instead of telling them what they will need to do,” Padmanabhan said.

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Cummins Outlines Products, Research to Address Changes Disrupting Trucking

Transport Topics  /  September 24, 2017

ATLANTA — Independent engine maker Cummins Inc. said it was prepared to respond with the right products at the right time to the three key disruptive forces reshaping the trucking industry: energy diversity, connectivity and automation.

The company outlined its stance to reporters at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show here Sept. 24.

“We want our customers and all users of our products to clearly understand that Cummins brings diversified, dependable technology solutions to our customers at the right time to power their success — always,” said Cummins Engine Business President Srikanth Padmanabhan. “Cummins is prepared to help them be successful now and in the future by offering them powertrain choices that maximize efficiency and reduce costs.”

On display at the show were its “super-efficient” X12 and X15 diesel engines, the new Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies Endurant transmission, ultra-low emission natural gas engine technology from Cummins Westport and its AEOS model, “the world’s first fully electric heavy-duty truck,” according to Cummins.

Also, it has ongoing research into high-efficiency spark-ignited technology that can deliver diesel-like performance and durability across a range of liquid fuels and natural gas, to battery electric and hybrid power.

In addition, Cummins continues to investigate the viability of other alternatives like biofuels, synthetic fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells, according to the company.

Meanwhile, its customers are looking for convenient and responsive interactions, real-time updates and information that make products safer, more productive and easier to use, according to Cummins.

The company has offered telematics systems in some markets for many years, but the potential for digital goes far beyond telematics systems and at a faster pace, it said.

In May 2017, Cummins formed a new internal organization led by Cummins Chief Information Officer Sherry Aaholm, called the Digital Accelerator, to streamline innovation, quickly bringing the best concepts from the idea stage to commercialization, according to the company.

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Cummins Sees a Future with Many Truck Power Options

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  September 24, 2017

ATLANTA – Cummins continues to embrace a “buffet” of power sources for the marketplace as it prepares for a future that includes diesel, hybrids, electric powertrains, and fuel cells.

“We win in the marketplace by seeing the future first, and beating the competition to it,” proclaimed Srikanth Padmanabhab, president of the Cummins engine business, during a briefing at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show. “We will be there to provide that power of choice to our customers.”

Cummins itself will produce 1.3 million engines this year, bringing its worldwide total to 15 million engines overall.

But the underlying source of power is clearly evolving.

Future internal combustion engines could be fueled by diesel, natural gas, or gasoline, he said. Battery-electric systems will find a place depending on specific applications, particularly in regional and urban environments -– especially as batteries improve. Cummins expects range-extended electric vehicles in 2019 and 2020 to serve the bus market and urban pickup and deliveries, and it has also unveiled an electric Class 7 urban hauler.

“We’ve been in this electrified business for well over two decades,” he stressed. “The technology is viable, and it’s economically viable in certain markets.”

In selected cases, hybrids will combine electric and internal combustion power. And there will be a place for fuel cells, too.

Emissions-friendly technologies are rolling out in markets around the world, improving the quality of life in the urban environments from Amsterdam to New Delhi and Beijing, he added.

It isn’t the only way the engines are evolving. Fifteen years ago, industry disruptors came in the form of globalization, emissions, and available power. Today, he said, the driving issues are diversity, connectivity, and automation.

As important as the fuel will be, connectivity is reshaping powertrains through the confluence of sensors, analytics, and artificial intelligence. To demonstrate that, he discussed how smartphones have become commonplace because of the combination of reliable hardware and killer apps. In the latter case, he referred to the way that Waze has become popular. Each phone has a GPS locator and accelerometer, and Waze has connected that to a network of people who can provide traffic data. That has disrupted the marketplace despite the navigation systems available through OEMs.

Engines were incorporating electronics as early as the 1980s, but communication-related technologies have reached a critical tipping point. “We did not have WiFi until recently. We didn’t have Bluetooth capability until recently,” he said. “We were not able to analyze data in a meaningful way.”

“I’m so excited about this connected enterprise we’re talking about,” Padmanabhab said, referring to the ability to collect masses of data that might otherwise be glossed over. Cummins Connected Customer Care, for example, is linking diagnostic capabilities, software and service providers.

“We’ll be doing predictive shifting. We’ll be doing optimized power depending on where you are in the U.S.,” he observed. “This will lead to intelligent braking and this will lead to other things.”

The next generation of Cummins powertrains will be lighter, smaller, and produce lower CO2 emissions, and will have the capabilities to be a hybrid, he said, adding that accessories will increasingly become electrified. And hybridization will allow more downsizing, making it possible to spec’ engines with smaller displacements.

“We are super excited about this because we’ll be in the longhaul market for the longhaul,” he said.

Cummins' Atlanta remarks reiterated what they said during an event last month where they unveiled a concept electric Class 7 truck.

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Cummins engine boss vows to offer customers “power of choice”

James Menzies, Truck News  /  September 24, 2017

ATLANTA, Ga. – Cummins is uniquely positioned to offer customers their “power of choice” well into the future, according to president of the engine business, Srikanth Padmanabhan.

Padmanabhan was speaking to truck press today at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show, where he said Cummins will be able to provide internal combustion engines, as well as full-electric and hybrid powertrains, and eventually even fuel cell electric powertrains.

“We have shown time and again, when the industry changes, or when technology changes, that is when we deliver and when we deliver for our customers in a big way,” Padmanabhan said. “We will be there to provide that power of choice for our customers, regardless of what the powertrain is going to be.”

He cited Cummins’ history of “technological leadership,” including its introduction of the diesel engine when trucks were predominantly powered by big gasoline engines. Cummins has been in the engine business for 100 years and will this year produce 1.3 million engines. It has a running population of 15 million engines.

The next 15 years, said Padmanabhan, will see further disruption, in the form of connectivity, automation, and energy diversity. He said Cummins will play a role in these areas. In terms of connectivity, Padmanabhan said Cummins is finally putting the data collected by its electronic control modules to use, and providing meaningful data to fleets.

“We have the ability to collect massive data and the ability to make better decisions because of analytics behind it. I think it’s going to revolutionize the industry,” Padmanabhan said of connectivity.

When it comes to automation, Padmanabhan said Cummins has a role to play by developing a compatible powertrain and enabling automation through its ADEPT software. And as for energy diversity, Padmanabhan vowed Cummins will be ready to meet customer needs with whatever technology is the most viable for them.

Padmanabhan also noted Cummins is working on a new heavy-duty engine platform, which will be rolled out in 2022.

“They’ll be lighter, and the performance will be better,” he said. He also predicted more components will be electrically powered in the future. And there may even be hybrid trucks that can operate electrically in areas with bad air pollution, and by traditional fossil fuels some of the time.