Cummins Inc. and Bustech, Australia’s largest supplier of transit buses made in Australia, announced an agreement to build the next generation Bustech XDi low floor transit bus using Cummins zero-emission battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
The agreement provides for initial units to be developed for both battery electric and fuel cell electric, with plans to ramp up production in late 2021 and early 2022, respectively.
“We are excited to continue working with Bustech to provide the next evolution in clean, dependable solutions from Cummins,” Cummins President of New Power Amy Davis stated. “Our ability to offer a full portfolio of solutions, allows our customers to seamlessly transition to one of several decarbonized solutions depending on their needs and specific use case. With a global support and service network already established, we’re equipped to support customers as they integrate zero-emission vehicles into their fleets.”
Cummins is based in Columbus, Indiana, and is a supplier of engines and generators to the RV industry.
The Battery Electric System from Cummins debuted in 2019. Cummins battery packs, which form an integral part of the battery electric powertrain, are designed and built by Cummins.
The batteries feature a lightweight enclosure and flexible energy dense modules, all controlled by a proprietary battery management system (BMS) to keep the packs operating at maximum performance. Within the system, the packs can be scaled from 444 kWh to 518 kWh. The battery electric powertrain for Bustech will have a range up to 350 km between recharging.
The Cummins fuel cell electric powertrain will maintain a large amount of commonality with the battery electric system and will be built on the same chassis from Bustech. Cummins will combine Cummins proprietary batteries with its 90kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell to provide a 450-600 km range based on various on-board hydrogen storage options.
To support Bustech’s XDi zero-emission products, Cummins will provide local service to customers through their company-owned distributor network, one of the largest in Australia supporting the bus market.
