If there is a new transportation technology to trial, Werner Enterprises will most likely be among the first to put it to the test.
The most recent example is Cummins Inc.’s hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine (ICE), which could bridge the gap to hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Werner (NASDAQ: WERN), a dedicated freight and logistics provider, will also test a Class 8 fuel cell truck when Cummins (NYSE: CMI) and Navistar International are ready to supply it. In November 2020, the experiment was announced.
But first, Cummins stated in a news statement on Friday that validation and integration of its 15-liter natural gas engine will commence in the second half of the year. The world leader in diesel engines, situated in Columbus, Indiana, has expanded into various alternative fuel and new power projects, including battery-electric and fuel cell powertrains.
‘A variety of gaseous fuels.’
“I believe gaseous-fueled ICE will be around for a long time.” “The question is what the gas is,” Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger told FreightWaves in a December interview. “We’re going to deploy a series of platforms this decade with identical bottom ends and top ends that can handle a variety of gaseous fuels.”
Werner will receive the huge natural gas powerplant, which will be used in conjunction with Cummins’ 12-liter natural gas engine. Cummins will launch the 15-liter engine in China in 2020. Inquiries from fleets in the United States revealed a strong level of interest in the long-haul, on-highway variant. It will be available in 2024.
The 15-liter engine will provide up to 500 horsepower and 1,850-pound-feet of torque while avoiding the selective catalytic reduction required by diesel engines to meet harsher 2024 California Air Resources Board or Environmental Protection Agency emission limits.
The engine, which runs on renewable natural gas (RNG) derived from non-petroleum-based feedstocks, has the potential to be a carbon-negative powerplant. The 15-liter can be combined with an Eaton-Cummins joint venture Endurant HD automated manual transmission and the Cummins fuel delivery system to provide a fully integrated natural gas powertrain.
“Our broad range of powertrain solutions, including advanced diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, and electrification, enables Cummins to provide multiple options that meet our customers’ specific business needs and sustainability targets today,” said Srikanth Padmanabhan, president of Cummins engine business.
Warner’s portfolio of technology tests
Werner also serves as an adviser to Hyliion Holdings (NYSE: HYLN), which is developing a hybrid natural gas-electric powertrain capable of up to 100 miles of zero-emission electric range before converting to natural gas or RNG.
Werner was among the first to receive the Peterbilt Model 579 electric vehicle in January 2020. Werner has subsequently assessed a Daimler Truck Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia.
Werner started a year ago that he had invested in and joined the executive advisory board of autonomous tracking software provider TuSimple Holdings (NASDAQ: TSP), which is working with Navistar to build a Class 8 driverless vehicle by 2024.
Cummins, on the other hand, ranks at the top of Werner’s technological partners.
“The alternatives Cummins is providing are consistent with Werner’s long-standing commitment to sustainability and decreasing our carbon footprint,” said Derek Leathers, Werner’s chairman, president, and CEO. “They understand the importance we have on leveraging technology to reduce our environmental footprint.”
