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Engine maker Cummins shows off all-electric truck, high-efficiency diesels
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.
Finally, the company showed off a natural gas engine that reduces the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions given off by the truck significantly.
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.
My note: Two points to be made here…. It is still early pioneering days for EV trucks (we've had cars, buses, trains) and secondly without some competitive and future regulatory pressure, this was not going to change. There will be no overnight switch but at least improvements are starting.
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Engine maker Cummins shows off all-electric truck, high-efficiency diesels The truck company will combine a battery with an engine-generator option. |
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