COLUMBUS, Ind. — Cummins will receive a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a Class 6 commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can reduce fuel consumption by 50 percent.
Examples of Class 6 vehicles include school buses or single axle work trucks.
“Cummins researchers will optimize the powertrain by selecting the engine with the best architecture to use as an electric commercial vehicle range extender, using the engine to manage the charge level of the all-electric drive battery pack,” Cummins spokesperson Jon Mills said. “The range extender will be integrated, using advanced vehicle controls, with the electrified powertrain and other applicable technologies.”
The researchers aim to improve fuel consumption, drivability and performance regardless of environmental conditions.