Cummins Asia Pacific Magazine - Issue 1 2023

Brisbane Truck Show 2023
Cummins Accelera 17Xe ePowertrain with 430kW electric motor
and a three-speed gearbox integrated into an axle assembly.
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ZERO
HEROES
Cummins Meritor team at Brisbane Truck Show.
The combined forces of Cummins
and Meritor were evident at
the Brisbane Truck Show as
they accelerate towards next
generation powertrain technology.
The US$3.7 billion acquisition of Meritor by
Cummins last year has drastically altered
the commercial vehicle landscape for
decarbonised solutions.
By accelerating Meritor’s investment
in electrification and integrating its
ePowertrain products with Cummins’ New
Power business under the new Accelera
brand, Cummins is on course to meet its
ambitious Destination Zero goal – reaching
net-zero emissions by 2050.
For several years leading up to the
purchase in 2022, Cummins had watched
closely the nature of Meritor’s product
offerings and liked what it saw.
Meritor’s success with its ePowertrain
product, for instance, coupled with
Cummins’ capabilities in hydrogen fuel
cell, battery and electrolyser production,
had tremendous potential to drive
technology development and expand
the profile of Cummins as a leader in low
emission transportation technologies.
Furthermore, the existing portfolio of
conventional axle, brake and drivelines
from Meritor were viewed as highly
complementary, enabling Cummins to
offer complete powertrain solutions. And
so, Cummins-Meritor was born.
The hero product on display on the
Cummins-Meritor stand at the Brisbane
Truck Show was the Accelera 17Xe
ePowertrain. The 17Xe is a 430 kW
electric motor and a three-speed gearbox
engineered and integrated into an axle
assembly, making it suitable for use in
heavy-duty transport applications.
With the ability to plug it into either
a hydrogen fuel cell or battery, it’s
the heaviest capacity of a suite of
ePowertrains that are now being marketed
along with the fuel cell, battery and
electrolysers solutions under the new
Accelera by Cummins brand.
“Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy is
not about a change immediately to zero
emissions technology, it’s also about
improving the efficiency for customers
today,” said Cummins-Meritor Australia
managing director David Cole. “Investing
in both the new technologies and that of
our more traditional drivetrain product lineup
is an imperative, as these technologies
are expected to coexist for some time
depending on the applications.”
On display at the show was the latest
Meritor 160 tandem series axle which
has been proven in the toughest
conditions in Australia over many years
and recently updated into two different
specs for linehaul and vocation. In the
linehaul version, the oil pump has been
engineered out of the tandem axle which
provides linehaul customers with efficiency
improvements and thus better fuel
economy. The vocational version retains
an integrated pump enabling greater
longevity where a broader and more
demanding application is required.
“The performance enhancements in our
traditional product line-up bring immediate
benefits to our customers in reducing
emissions and operating costs, and
is essential technology when coupled
with evolving zero-emission engine
technologies,” said Cole.
16 | CUMMINS ASIA PACIFIC MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 2023