Cummins Inc. has debuted its 15-liter hydrogen engine, built on the company’s new fuel-agnostic platform.
Cummins announced the testing of hydrogen internal combustion technology in July 2021 and has already achieved production power and torque targets (over 810 ft-lbs torque and 290 hp from the medium-duty engine). Additional testing on Cummins’ more advanced prototypes will begin soon.
With a large global manufacturing footprint, the company says it can quickly scale production. The 15-liter engine is expected to be in full production in 2027.
“While use cases for battery electric and fuel cell electric powertrains are promising, the pairing of green hydrogen in the proven technology of internal combustion engines provides an important complement to future zero emissions solutions,” says Srikanth Padmanabhan, president of Cummins’ engine business.
The engine will be a zero-carbon-fueled solution for multiple markets. Cummins intends to produce hydrogen internal combustion engines in both the 15-liter and 6.7-liter displacements, believing that these engines enable the industry to take action and reduce GHG emissions this decade, ultimately accelerating carbon reduction.
“Heavy-duty trucking is critical to the global economy and is one of the hard-to-abate sectors of the economy,” says Daryl Wilson, executive director of the Hydrogen Council. “We are encouraged by progress at Cummins in the development of hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines and look forward to continued advancements that can help us reach cost-effective decarbonization of economies worldwide.”
