CUMMINS TRUMPS TESLA, ANNOUNCES NEW ELECTRIC TRUCK A MONTH BEFORE
Buzz-kill news flash this week. Tesla prepared to announce all-electric semi next month, only to be beaten to punchline this week by Cummins, a long-time diesel engine supplier. Killing Tesla’s buzz before it even began, Cummins announced its own prototype all-electric truck this week, surprising the market and creating its own buzz and excitement. Tesla, normally leading the all-electric market news, is left to figure out what went wrong as it eats Cummins fumes.
LOCAL DELIVERY TRUCK RANGE, GOOD CHARGING TIME
Cummins launched what they call a Class 7 Urban Hauler Tractor. It’s an 18,000-pound truck built by Roush and is designed for local deliveries. Cummins plans to start selling a 140 k WH battery pack for major bus operators and commercial truck fleets in the next 2 years. The new one is expected to have a range of 100 miles with a battery that takes only an hour to charge. Once it is finally released in 2020, Cummins hopes to have the charging time cut down to 20%. They also plan on offering a hybrid model using a diesel engine, increasing the range to 300 miles of deliveries on any given day.
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18-WHEELERS STILL OUT OF REACH FOR ELECTRIC LONG HAULS
Cummins’ chief exec, Thomas Linebarger, told Forbes that electric technology isn’t quite ready for 18-wheelers, mostly due to the long distances they travel. Tesla’s version will reportedly be set to handle lengthier tasks, with 200 to 300 miles on a single charge, but that remains far below the 1,000 miles a typical heavy-duty truck can handle on one tank of gas.
Cummins may have introduced a prototype truck cab to show off, but the company only intends to produce the powertrain for trucks, Forbes reports. So for now, expect to wait for the next surprises. But also revel as these trucks were a mere fantasy even five years ago.
