Cummins Inc. has announced plans to sell 500 hydrogen-powered engines to one of the largest trucking and logistics companies in the United States a little over a year after the Columbus-based company announced that it was testing hydrogen engines for a variety of applications.
Cummins said Wednesday that Werner Enterprises Inc. has signed a letter of intent to buy 500 15-liter hydrogen internal combustion engines when they become available, though the Cummins gave no indication when they expected the engines to be ready.
Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Werner Enterprises has more than 8,000 trucks and 24,000 trailers, according to the company’s website. The letter of intent is part of Werner Enterprise’s plans to integrate Cummins’ natural gas and hydrogen engines into its fleet, the two companies said.
“Our fleet customers have shown tremendous enthusiasm for Hydrogen internal combustion engines, which we believe can be a breakthrough technology essential to reaching Destination Zero,” said Jim Nebergall, general manager of Cummins’ hydrogen engine business, in a statement. “With enough interest, we believe we can manufacture this technology at scale yet this decade providing customers with an option that is a low initial cost, extended vehicle range, powertrain installation commonality, and end user familiarity.”
Destination Zero is Cummins’ strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts of its products and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
In July 2021, Cummins said it was testing a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine in what was the company’s latest effort to “meet the energy and environmental needs of the future.”
Following the proof-of-concept testing, Cummins said last year that it planned to evaluate the engine in a variety of on- and off-highway applications. Officials gave no indication of how long the testing would last, but expressed optimism that the company would be able to bring the engine to market.
Wednesday’s announcement comes as the push for vehicles powered by hydrogen continues to gain traction in the U.S., with companies around the world increasingly exploring the technology to reduce emissions from semi-trucks, trains, buses, power plants, among other applications.
