Cummins has announced it is expanding its powertrain platforms with the industry’s first unified, fuel-agnostic engines. These platforms will use engine blocks and core components that share common architectures and will be optimised for different low-carbon fuel types.

“Getting to zero is not a light-switch event. Carbon emissions that we put into the atmosphere today will have a lasting impact,” said Srikanth Padmanabhan, president, Cummins Engine Business.

“Having a variety of lower carbon options is particularly important considering the variation in duty cycles and operating environments across the many markets we serve. There is no single solution or magic bullet that will work for all application types or all end users.”

The new fuel-agnostic engine platforms will feature a series of engine versions that are derived from a common base engine, which means they have a high degree of parts commonality. Below the head gasket each engine will largely have similar components and above the head gasket componentry will suit the different fuel types. Each engine version will operate using a different, single fuel.

The new design approach will be applied across the company’s B, L and X-Series engine portfolios, which will be available for diesel, natural gas and hydrogen.

“This is a new way of designing and developing lower emission internal combustion powertrains that meet the unique needs of the transportation industry while leveraging the benefits of a common product architecture and footprint where possible,” said Jonathon White, vice president of engineering, Engine Business. “This unique technology approach will allow end users to more seamlessly pick the right powertrain for their application with the lowest CO₂ impact.”

Parts commonality will offer increased benefits for both truck OEMs and end users, including similar engine footprints, diagnoses and service intervals. This means it will be easier for OEMs to integrate a variety of fuel types across the same truck chassis, and there will be minimal costs to train technicians and re-tool service locations, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership for the end user.

The new products are an important element of Cummins’ strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts of its products and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.