The partners’ new ‘Vehicle Health Intelligence’ application will integrate Cummins’ own ‘Connected Solutions’ service with the Californian tech company’s ‘Virtual Vehicle’ platform.

Acelera powertrains to be used in US-made F-series truck

The ‘MD6’ and ‘MD7’ Class 6-7 trucks will now be offered with a heavier rear axle and the Cummins ‘B6.7’ engine, which has a rating of 325 horsepower.

The B7.2 will enter series production in 2027 at the Rocky Mount Engine Plant in North Carolina.

At the end of January, the European Commission kicked off a series of strategic dialogues with business leaders from the automotive industry to review regulations which set mandatory CO2 emission targets for newly-registered vehicles. In a press release, the ACEA alleged that car and van manufacturers could face fines of up to EUR16bn this year for failing to comply with the regulation. Cummins expects that a similar target for CVs – a 43% reduction starting in 2030 – will not be achieved without a drastic transformation of the market. Echoing the opinion of the ACEA, Lamb told Truck & Bus Builder that “the rollout of infrastructure for both electric and hydrogen vehicles is slower than will be needed to meet the 2030 target”.

In early 2023, a new name was introduced to the commercial vehicle industry: “Accelera by Cummins”. It was the result of eight separate acquisitions made by parent company Cummins Inc over a period of as many years, all of them connected, albeit in different ways, to zero-emission technology. Naturally, Cummins wished to differentiate its new purchases from its ongoing engine business, and it is not the only legacy manufacturer to attempt a rebrand for its electric vehicle products (a la General Motors’ “Brightdrop” and Shyft Group’s “Blue Arc”). But it also aims to weld its acquisitions together into a single, cohesive unit capable of delivering “end-to-end electric solutions”. Molly Hale – who is the marketing communications manager for Accelera – explained: “There was this belief that we needed to have an identity all our own, to go to the market and explain the depth of the commitment and the depth of the investments in these technologies.”

Cummins announced the continuation of a thirty-five-year long partnership with Ram Trucks with the supply of a new diesel engine for the Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 models.

The compact design of the 14Xe has allowed for a shorter wheelbase, something which Thomas Built Buses says was “highly requested” by customers.

Set to be launched in 2027, the system integrates the Cummins B-Series engine with Allison's eGen Flex electric hybrid propulsion technology, meeting the EPA's Phase 3 greenhouse gas emissions standards.

The new truck with the Cummins-derived engine is believed to be the first of global engine partnership between Daimler and Cummins for medium duty engines at Euro VI and beyond.

James Taylor has taken over as General Manager (GM), Christy Roadknight is now the Deputy GM, and Genoveva Alba has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The ‘StreetDeck Ultroliner’, which was originally launched in 2014, will now be offered with a Cummins ‘B6.7’ engine, replacing the six-cylinder Daimler ‘OM936’ which was used before.