Tesla
Cummins commits to electrification and more
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Cummins is pledging to launch a fully electrified powertrain in 2019, and a range-extended electric powertrain in 2020. But senior executives stress that these rollouts will be for urban transit vehicles, and that electrified long-haul trucks are still years from reality. "We are not just a diesel engine company," proclaimed Chief Executive Officer Tom Linebarger, during a Wednesday conference call. "Technology is what we do. Innovation is what we do." An internal electrification business group is combining Cummins expertise with selected partners, as they collectively develop power storage, related electronics, and traction motors.
Daimler chief unfazed by NAFTA talk
MADRAS, OR - Roger Nielsen, the recently named president and Chief Executive Officer of Daimler Trucks North America, doesn't seem concerned by talk about renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement - even though its manufacturing footprint includes Mexico. "We're a global company, and globally we believe in free trade. And we're prepared to engage everybody and anybody in discussions," he said during his first media briefing. "I don't anticipate any major changes in the NAFTA." The company has reserve manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and Mexico, he noted. The supply chain is also dual-sourced. "They have the ability to source worldwide or source domestically."
Electric Semi: More sizzle than steak?
A few days ago we got our first glimpse of what might be Tesla's Electric Semi, as company CEO Elon Musk calls it. It looks futuristic, but it also looks like a high-roof over-the-road sleeper truck - which is exactly the wrong application for a fully electric drivetrain.
Diesel Dilemma: Are the days of our favorite fuel numbered?
Rudolf Diesel must be rolling in his grave. The 19th-century inventor gave birth to the engine that bears his name. Now the country where he did the work is looking to bring the technology to an end. German legislators recently passed a resolution that calls for a ban of all internal combustion engines as early as 2030.
Tesla to build trucks, defends autonomous vehicles
PALO ALTO, CA - Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is turning his sights to commercial vehicles, unveiling a "master plan" for the company that includes producing a new Tesla Semi. "In addition to consumer vehicles, there are two other types of electric vehicle needed: heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport," he writes in the plan that was posted last night. "Both are in the early stages of development at Tesla and should be ready for unveiling next year. We believe the Tesla Semi will deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport, while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate."
Quite Wright: Tesla co-founder sets his sights on trucks
Ian Wright co-founded Tesla Motors and developed the fastest street-legal electric car in the world. But these days he has set his sights on something bigger - an electric powertrain for commercial vehicles. Wrightspeed's range-extended electric powertrain known as the Route enters production in a matter of months, and the company CEO boldly predicts that electric waste trucks will overtake the sale of diesel models in as little as five years. There have been other attempts to electrify trucks in the past. One thing that sets the Route apart, however, is its Fulcrum turbine.