Cummins has unveiled a new electric-powered semi tractor. Company officials say the “Class 7 Demonstration Urban Hauler Tractor” shows Cummins’ commitment to compete, and win, in the field of new and future technologies.
An unveiling ceremony was held Tuesday morning at the Cummins Tech Center on McKinley Avenue. Cummins says that the Concept Class 7 Urban Hauler EV includes a state-of-the art battery pack offering, allowing the vehicle to hold a longer charge for improved range and faster charging, reducing down time. The concept truck design includes an Engine-Generator option for extended range capabilities. Company officials say that engine options offer 50 percent fuel savings compared to today’s diesel hybrids, with zero emissions.
Jon Mills, Cummins’ director of external communications, says the announcement of this electric-powered vehicle compliments the company’s earlier announcements about the production of super-efficient diesel engines and future plans to introduce “a revolutionary heavy-duty diesel engine in 2022.” Company officials say these products and technologies add to Cummins’ portfolio of solutions and offer customers the latest in environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and powerful products to help them succeed in every market and every application. With these new innovations, Cummins says it will continue to provide connected customer support, including cloud-based solutions and big data analysis, in order to maximize up-time, safety and business optimization, increasing customers’ bottom line.
“These new technological innovations build on our 100-year legacy of bringing the best solutions to our customers, driving their success and meeting the evolving demands of their industries and markets,” said Jennifer Rumsey, Chief Technical Officer, Cummins Inc. “We will harness our global technical footprint to continue to develop a wide variety of power technologies to bring our customers the choice and solutions that enable their success and contribute to a sustainable future.”
“As a global power leader for the commercial and industrial customers we serve, with an unmatched service and support network, we are better positioned than any other company to win in new and emerging technologies and in new markets,” said Rich Freeland, Cummins President and Chief Operating Officer. “We will leverage our deep industry and customer knowledge and our scale advantage to win. Over the past century, our ability to innovate and adapt has fueled our success and we are confident we are on the right path to do it again.”
Local and state officials were on hand for the announcement. Jason Hester, president of the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation, says that this announcement illustrates the importance of Cummins to the local community. He praised company officials for their forward-thinking as it relates to the future needs of customers, as well as calls for cleaner, quieter engines. Hester’s statements were echoed by State Rep. Milo Smith. He noted that all of the testing technology developed for this new electric vehicle took place in Columbus. Smith compared Cummins to AT&T, noting that both companies were founded and established on one technology, but had enough foresight to make adjustments and prepare for the future.