Our planet is facing a dire crisis: carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere continue to soar above record highs. If gone unaddressed, the collective stress of climate change will produce an irreparable impact. Our health, energy, water, and food ecosystems are at risk. 

As it stands, there are many long-term effects of climate change. In North America, climate change is forecasted to cause decreasing snowpack in the western mountains. It will also lead to a 5–20% increase in yields of rain-fed agriculture and great intensity of heat waves. In fact, over the last five years, the United States has incurred roughly $120 billion a year in damages as a result of natural disasters caused by extreme weather and climate events.

Beyond natural catastrophes, climatic risks to the United States will have a cascading effect on the country’s interconnected ecosystems. Reduced labor and overall economic productivity, and altered crop yields, will disproportionately harm lower-income and marginalized populations. These groups lack the resources to prepare or cope with extreme weather and climate events.

The world is investing in clean energy innovation

Combating the intensifying climate crisis requires a strategic combination of research and development (R&D), innovation, technology — and bold attempts.

Around the globe, countries are investing in clean energy to contribute to a livable planet now and for generations to come. In 2022, the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a historic $370 billion investment to address the climate crisis. The Inflation Reduction Act provides tax credits and incentives to power homes, businesses, and communities with clean energy by 2030. The Act will increase investments in the fastest-growing power generation technologies, solar and wind. It will also advance cost-saving clean energy projects and protect two million acres of national forests. These initiatives are in addition to substantial tax credits and rebates offered to families and businesses in the United States.
Consequently, a stronger clean energy economy will contribute to overall economic growth and competition. As a result, there will be millions of new well-paying jobs for Americans to make clean energy.

It is possible to start decarbonizing now

Governmental policy strategies and investments in decarbonization technologies are part of the solution to produce increasingly cheap, dependable, and clean energy.

Strong communities and vibrant economies depend on a healthier planet. As a global power technology leader, Cummins is in a unique position to power customer success by leading during this energy transition. We intent to do so by providing customers with the right technology at the right time, understanding of their needs and applications.

We think of this journey to carbon neutrality in two distinct and complementary ways. First, by innovating zero-emission solutions and introducing them in markets and applications where the infrastructure, development and deployment are ready. Secondly, by advancing internal combustion engines through efficiency improvement and by running them on cleaner alternative fuels for a well-to-wheels solution.

Through Destination Zero, we are advancing low- and no-carbon platforms. This includes diesel and natural gas engines, hybrid, and electric platforms, as well as powertrain components, controls, and related technologies.

Join Cummins in powering a better tomorrow

Cummins environmental sustainability strategy includes goals timed for 2030. Progress toward the reduction of carbon emissions from company plants and facilities — in addition to our products — is in full swing. For more than one hundred years, we have brought technological solutions to market. As a power solutions leader, we will continue to power a more prosperous world for today and tomorrow. Are you ready to consider investing in new power solutions?

When a freak winter storm struck Texas in February 2021, the state’s power grid couldn’t handle it. Nearly five million people suddenly found themselves without electricity in freezing temperatures, causing a humanitarian crisis. 

The worst power outage in Texas’ history was a wake-up call. Winter power outages can be serious even if you live in a typically warm climate. 

Here are some time tips in case your family ever finds itself without power in the middle of winter:

1. Add insulation to your attic — In addition to helping keep the cold out and the heat in, the proper amount of insulation can help prevent ice dams from forming on the edges of your roof, which can lead to water damage inside your home.
2. Stock up on non-perishable food and water — Stow enough food that does not need to be cooked and water for everyone in the family  Make sure you have a manual can opener, too.
3. Don’t use a gas stove or oven for heat — During a power outage your home has less airflow. This increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if you run the stove or oven continuously. Gas stoves are designed for intermittent, short-term use and don’t have all the safety features of a gas furnace.
4. Use a wood-burning fireplace if you have one — Just make sure you have enough seasoned firewood on hand and your chimney regularly cleaned and inspected.
5. Download our Power Outage Ultimate Checklist — It provides in-depth information about what to do before, during and after an outage. It even shows you what to do for children, pets and family members with medical needs. You can download it here.
6. Dress in layers — Wear a polypropylene base layer, then add a warm shirt and a sweater or cardigan. Wear synthetic or wool insulated pants instead of jeans or khakis. Cotton fabric is not a good insulator. Make sure you have warm mittens, woolen socks and a knit cap also.
7. Buy flashlights and extra batteries —Make sure you have enough for every family member. If the temperature gets too cold inside, alkaline batteries won’t perform very well. Either keep them close to your body (to keep them warm) until you need to use them or invest in some lithium-ion batteries, which perform better in the cold.
8. Keep mobile phones charged and gas tanks full — Your phones and your vehicles are your lifelines to the outside world. If you have an EV, make sure it’s fully charged.
9. Protect your pipes — As water freezes, it expands. This can burst the pipes in your home. Add insulation to your exposed pipes. During a power outage, you can also open each faucet to allow a slow drip. This water flow will help keep the water from freezing in the pipes.
10. Winterproof your home — Seal doors and windows to reduce drafts so you keep as much heat indoors as possible.
11. Invest in a whole-home standby generator — For the ultimate peace of mind, consider one of the Cummins QuietConnect™ home standby generators. In the event of a power outage, your generator will automatically switch on and keep your home powered. 
12. Install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups — Place them in central locations on every floor so if any carbon monoxide gets in the home, you are immediately alerted.

Power outages are always inconvenient. But winter power outages can be downright scary. To see the different ways that Cummins can help keep your family warm and cozy during a winter power outage, visit us at cummins.com/na/generators/home-standby/whole-house-and-portable or find a local dealer at cummins.com/na/generators/home-standby/find-a-dealer.

This is the first of a series of articles on powertrain technologies Cummins is looking to introduce on the path to zero emissions by 2050.

Internal combustion engine (ICE) technologies are an important transitory step for the trucking industry as Cummins pursues net-zero carbon by 2050 under its Destination Zero strategy, which is to go further, faster to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) and air quality impacts of its products. 

Cummins’ ICE technologies focus on advanced diesel, gas and hydrogen, which will provide clean, cost-effective power to customers in the years ahead and help Cummins achieve an interim goal of lowering emissions from newly sold products by 25% by 2030.

“Many Australian and New Zealand trucking businesses – owner-operators, small, medium and even large fleets – who are vital to both countries’ road transport efficiency into the future, will only remain in business with affordable technologies to reduce their carbon footprint,” says Mike Fowler, director and general manager of on-highway business for Cummins Asia Pacific.

He says getting to zero emissions in the heavy-duty trucking industry will not be a “light switch event” and that the pathway to the target will require some transition through lower carbon solutions while the economic, operational and infrastructure challenges of zero emission vehicles are solved.

Importantly, the industry needs multiple solutions to meet the needs of all on and off-highway customers with their variety of duty cycles and operating environments. The pace of transition will not only be driven by customer requirements but also infrastructure investment and regulatory advancements.

“There are still significant efficiency gains Cummins can achieve with diesel internal combustion technology to further reduce greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions and atmospheric pollutants,” Fowler points out.

“Heavy-duty trucking today requires the power density and operational range that only diesel internal combustion can provide,” he adds. “This is particularly relevant in Australia with its challenging operating environment.”

A new big bore Cummins diesel engine in the pipeline will further reduce carbon emissions with fuel savings of more than 10% compared with Cummins’ current X15 Euro 6 engine.

Cummins Inc. president and CEO, Jennifer Rumsey, emphasized recently that an important step in getting to net-zero was about making existing technologies more efficient.

“We can make a big difference by improving the efficiency of diesel engines in the next decade. Those products will be out there for many years beyond that. We shouldn’t just focus on zero only, we need a combination of advancing zero and improving engine-based products that we have today.”

Cummins recently announced the development of natural gas and hydrogen internal combustion engines – designated X15N and X15H – which were showcased at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, North America’s largest advanced transportation technology and clean fleet event, where they attracted a lot of attention.

Debuting a clean hydrogen-burning engine is one thing. Having the fuel infrastructure in place to support it is another. The good news in Australia is that Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian state governments recently announcing collaboration on a renewable ‘green’ hydrogen refuelling network for heavy trucks on the nation’s most critical roads and highways, starting with the Hume Highway, Pacific Highway and Newell Highway.

NSW aims to have 10,000 heavy vehicles powered by green hydrogen by 2030.

Both the X15H and X15N are based on an entirely new 15-litre design which offers a weight saving of around 200 kg over the current X15 diesel engine. 

They also highlight Cummins’ new ‘fuel-agnostic’ engine platform – an industry first – which offers different versions of the same base engine. The bottom-end of the engines looks the same, while unique cylinder heads are designed to accommodate a different low or zero carbon fuel.  Each engine within the platform can run on one specific fuel using familiar internal combustion engine technology.

Hydrogen is an energy dense, carbon-free fuel and offers benefits in terms of range, payloads and fast refuelling times. The hydrogen engine itself is not completely CO2-free in that small amounts of oil in the crankcase still make their way to the combustion chamber where they’re burned, emitting a small amount of carbon through the tailpipe. NOX levels drop substantially in hydrogen combustion versus conventional diesel, by at least 75% from today’s most stringent standards.
The hydrogen engine offers performance comparable to a diesel and is virtually a drop-in replacement for a traditional engine, the major modification to a truck’s architecture being the addition of a hydrogen fuel system.

The natural gas X15N is scheduled for release in 2024 and will be offered with peak ratings of 500 hp and 1850 lb ft of torque. The engine can achieve carbon negativity when fuelled with renewable natural gas – or biogas – using methane collected from organic waste as the primary fuel source.

Premier US fleet Werner Enterprises, which is focused on reducing its carbon footprint, will begin validation and integration of the X15H and X15N in its trucks in the second half of 2022.