Photo: Cummins
Mercedes-Benz is already in the electric semi truck business, and Tesla wants a piece of the lucrative pie as well. Cummins is the latest company to jump into the fray, unveiling the AEOS. Scheduled to enter production in 2019, the Class 7 electric truck is named after one of the horses of the Sun God’s chariot.
Capable of hauling a trailer that tips the scales at 22 tons, the semi relies on a 140 kWh battery. The 18,000-pound tractor cab is made for urban deliveries, chiefly because the operational range is 100 miles (160 kilometers) on a full charge. According to Cummins, it takes roughly one hour to recharge the battery, with the company planning on cutting that time to 20 minutes in 2020.
For customers who can’t get over the range anxiety, the electrically powered AEOS will be made available in 2020 with a range extender coming in the form of an undisclosed turbo diesel. In this configuration, the Class 7 heavy-duty truck is good for just around 300 miles (483 kilometers) between fill-ups.
A secret to the capability of the AEOS comes in the form of aerodynamics, with Cummins resorting to cameras instead of conventional side mirrors. Further streamlining the exterior design is the sealed underbody. In comparison to Tesla’s way of doing things, Cummins won’t manufacture the AEOS per se, but only the electronic system at the heart of the e-truck. As for the battery cells, the company will acquire them from an undisclosed provider.
“These new technological innovations build on our 100-year legacy of bringing the best solutions to our customers, driving their success and meeting the evolving demands of their industries and markets,” declared Jennifer Rumsey, chief technical officer. The AEOS e-truck, however, isn’t the only newity the Columbus, Indiana-based company will launch in the near future.
Despite the Volkswagen mess-up known as Dieselgate, the oil-chugging powerplant isn’t going anywhere according to Cummins. In 2022, the company plans to launch “a revolutionary heavy-duty diesel engine,” which will be offered in a wide selection of semi trucks.
For customers who can’t get over the range anxiety, the electrically powered AEOS will be made available in 2020 with a range extender coming in the form of an undisclosed turbo diesel. In this configuration, the Class 7 heavy-duty truck is good for just around 300 miles (483 kilometers) between fill-ups.
A secret to the capability of the AEOS comes in the form of aerodynamics, with Cummins resorting to cameras instead of conventional side mirrors. Further streamlining the exterior design is the sealed underbody. In comparison to Tesla’s way of doing things, Cummins won’t manufacture the AEOS per se, but only the electronic system at the heart of the e-truck. As for the battery cells, the company will acquire them from an undisclosed provider.
“These new technological innovations build on our 100-year legacy of bringing the best solutions to our customers, driving their success and meeting the evolving demands of their industries and markets,” declared Jennifer Rumsey, chief technical officer. The AEOS e-truck, however, isn’t the only newity the Columbus, Indiana-based company will launch in the near future.
Despite the Volkswagen mess-up known as Dieselgate, the oil-chugging powerplant isn’t going anywhere according to Cummins. In 2022, the company plans to launch “a revolutionary heavy-duty diesel engine,” which will be offered in a wide selection of semi trucks.
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