Cummins leader promotes the power of choice to address climate change

Dr. Wayne Eckerle, seated middle, testifies in front of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Wayne Eckerle, seated middle, testifies in front of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change in Washington, D.C.

The Cummins leader for research and technology urged U.S. lawmakers today (Oct. 23, 2019) to preserve the power of choice in heavy duty powertrains so customers can select the best technology for them to address challenges like climate change.

Dr. Wayne Eckerle told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change in Washington, D.C., that there is no one size fits all solution for heavy duty transportation. Policies establishing national standards while maintaining technical flexibility are the best way to promote the innovation needed to ultimately reach net-zero emissions.

“Cummins is committed to investing in an energy diverse future where our customers have a broad portfolio of power options – a future that includes clean diesel, natural gas, electrified power, fuel cell technology and alternative fuels – so they can choose what works best for them,” Eckerle told the subcommittee in prepared testimony.

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY

All of those technologies can play important roles in reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), the principal cause of climate change. For example, the nearly 5 million diesel trucks using advanced diesel fuel, the latest engine technology and modern emissions control, have avoided the production of more than 26 million metric tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the past decade.

NOx is a key contributor to smog and CO2 is pivotal to GHGs. Cummins believes internal combustion engines will be around for some time, especially for long haul trucking, as the infrastructure develops for carbon neutral technology such as electrified power and fuel cells. The company is working to make the engines cleaner, and more efficient.

Watch the testimony

“We remain committed to making our internal combustion engines as fuel efficient as possible,” said Eckerle, Vice President of Global Research and Technology at Cummins.

Eckerle said natural gas can also be a clean source of energy for customers using the latest technology, especially for those with access to renewable natural gas from sources such as landfills.

“Biogas can provide a clean, easily controlled source of renewable energy from organic waste materials, replacing fossil fuels with a sustainable carbon neutral fuel option,” he told the committee.

EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Cummins has long been a leader in engines fueled by diesel and natural gas. It is quickly becoming the leader in electrified power and fuel cell technology, building on its own expertise through several recent acquisitions.

The company, for example, has greatly expanded its technical capability with battery-electric technology, offering electrified powertrains for school and transit bus applications as well as work trucks in 2019.

In addition, Cummins is the largest provider of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel-cell powered locomotives in the world. PEM fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.

“The heavy-duty vehicle industry is undergoing significant change and Cummins is leading the way,” Eckerle said.

But he cautioned that the company’s work with new technologies will only be effective if the market adopts the technology.

“Cost and infrastructure readiness are the main barriers to adoption of low emission technologies for commercial vehicles,” he told the subcommittee.

HOW GOVERNMENT CAN HELP

Eckerle said one thing the federal government can do toward the goal of carbon neutral heavy-duty transportation is encourage the development of infrastructure and affordable technology through public-private partnerships like the 21st Century Truck Partnership and cost-shared research and development projects like SuperTruck. 

Launched in 2010, SuperTruck has brought together major players in heavy duty transportation to work on experimental technologies making trucks more efficient, sharing costs with the U.S. Department of Energy. Many of the innovations are now included in engines on the market today.

Eckerle said the government can also establish nationwide emissions targets for product specific applications, noting that federal GHG standards for commercial vehicles will lower CO2 emissions by about 1.1 billion metric tons if fully implemented, saving vehicle owners $170 billion in fuel costs and reducing oil consumption by up to 2 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program.

"Policies should be free of technology-forcing mandates, ensuring manufacturers' ability to provide options that allow communities to make the best choices that will meet their performance and environmental needs," Eckerle said. "Successful policies should not be prescriptive but should instead focus on desired outcomes, allowing flexibility and innovation to meet goals."
 

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The 15 White Coats Partners with Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore, powered by Cummins, to bring African American literature to Indianapolis Schools

mobile bookstore

The RESILIENT READERS BOOK CLUB is a school age book gifting initiative created by the nationally renowned The 15 White Coats and Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore to provide access to high quality Black literature through book boxes placed inside of youth centered organizations. The Indianapolis launch is made possible by global power leader Cummins Inc., through its Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE) initiative. We are all committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Moreover, we are committed to making a meaningful and lasting impact in the city of Indianapolis, IN.

Who

In 2019, The 15 White Coats (www.the15whitecoats.org), an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to diversify medicine through mentorship, literacy accessibility, and economic assistance. The 15 White Coats started after a photo of 15 Tulane School of Medicine African-American medical students posing in front of plantation slave quarters went viral. The organization has helped over 2000 students with over $500,000 in scholarships to help with entering the healthcare field, whether it's physicians, dentists, PAs, optometrists, NPs, nurses, etc. Moreover, nearly 10,000 15 White Coats photos have been distributed to schools, students, institutions, and businesses worldwide. 

The non-profit has been featured by Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, New Orleans Times-Picayune, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, U.S. Today, AAMC, AMA and People Magazine.

Visit their site to learn more. 


Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore is a bookstore on wheels sharing stories that uplift Black life, Black heritage, and Black joy. Described as a "bookstore on wheels with ice cream truck energy" owner, Natalie Pipkin is on a mission to provide access and awareness to Black stories as well as excitement and engagement around reading, Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore debuted as Indiana's first bookstore on wheels June 2022 and is the first of its kind in the region. Since its initial online launch in December 2020, Black Worldschoolers has been a recipient of the Jrue & Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund, featured in Sports Illustrated, Scripps News, The Indianapolis Star, WFYI, FOX59 and WRTV. 

Visit the Black Worldschoolers site to learn more.


Cummins Inc., is a 104-year-old global power technology leader, with complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 73,600 people and is committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment and equality ofopportunity. Cummins has a deeply rooted history in fighting for social justice, serving its communities and living the company's core values of diversity and inclusion.

In October 2020, Cummins Inc. launched Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE) so Cummins could take a leading role in the work to dismantle systemic discrimination against the Black community in the U.S. As a first step in this journey, CARE brings together all Cummins' capabilities - its people, its balance sheet and the company’s philanthropy - to drive racial equity and combat the impact of racism on its people, communities, and economy. 

Through CARE, Cummins is taking decisive action to address, and spearhead change throughout targeted CARE communities in the U.S., across four impact areas:

  • Police reform
  • Criminal justice reform
  • Economic empowerment
  • Social justice reform

Through CARE’s efforts, Cummins is dedicated to improving communities in which it operates to have a direct impact on the lives of its employees and its neighbors.

WHY

According to Indiana's National Assessment Educational Progress (NAEP), only 33% of 4th graders in Indiana read at or above a proficient level, with Black students among those suffering most. The NAEP results reflect the reality of educational inequities created by centuries of systemic racism that are still present today. How do we begin to engage and excite youth in the area of reading? High quality, culturally relevant books that can serve as mirrors and motivation to a historically left out population is a start. The Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood of Indianapolis has a scarcity of books in places where Black children are present and a lack of stories that positively reflect the youth within the communities.

This partnership is created to provide children and families access to enjoyable books, powerful stories and meaningful community interaction that will cultivate, a joy for reading, a healthy sense of self, fruitful lives and future aspirations. We will display boxes containing 15 curated books for K-3rd graders as designed by The 15 White Coats & Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore.

Employees from the Cummins Community Involvement Team (CIT) along with volunteers within partnering organizations will deliver the threetiered book boxes and read stories aloud to the children at site locations throughout the year. Locations in the Martindale-Brightwood community as identified by the Edna Martin Christian Center, Kipp Indy, and other local partners. The partnership will host a literacy event in collaboration with Kipp Indy Schools in Spring 2023 to bring in the Mobile Bookstore and National Book Award Finalist, Author, Derrick Barnes. 

Resilient Readers Book Club is a book gifting initiative for school age children created by the nationally renowned, The 15 White Coats and Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore, providing access to culturally relevant literature to inspire the youth of tomorrow. The Indianapolis area launch will take place March 6th 3 pm-6pm at KIPP Indy Legacy High School, and is powered by Cummins Inc.

We are inviting local and national media outlets to attend this groundbreaking event as well as to print details in order to raise awareness to the importance of having access to culturally relevant literature within our communities.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release (or for a sample, copy or demo), contact Dr. Russell J. Ledet at [email protected]..

Cummins Office Building

Cummins Inc.

Cummins, a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company's products range from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions and components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products.

Cummins’ Statement on South Carolina’s Proposed Abortion Ban

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Over the past few months, Cummins has been communicating internally to our employees, and publicly, our concerns with laws and proposals that limit the ability of people to make decisions about their reproductive healthcare. We are very concerned with the proposed legislation in South Carolina that would limit reproductive healthcare access. 

If passed, this legislation will impact our employees, our communities and impede our ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce in South Carolina. Cummins believes that women should have the right to make reproductive healthcare decisions as a matter of gender equity, ensuring that women have the same opportunity as others to participate fully in the workforce and that our workforce is diverse. South Carolina's proposed legislation is contrary to this goal.

For Cummins to be successful it is critical that we have a safe and welcoming workplace, and communities where we embrace our differences and enable all employees to thrive. As we continue to grow our footprint with a focus on selecting communities that align with our values and business goals, this law will be considered in our decision-making process.

We want to make it clear that Cummins will continue to provide our employees with access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, regardless of where they live and are able to make healthcare decisions based on what they believe is right for them.

Cummins Office Building

Cummins Inc.

Cummins, a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company's products range from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions and components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products.

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