Columbus-based Cummins Inc. and Tokyo-based industrial equipment maker Komatsu Ltd. have announced a new collaboration to develop hybrid powertrains for mining trucks.
Cummins says the retrofit kits are expected to save money while reducing carbon emissions. The partners said in a news release that they are committed to reducing environmental impact.
Earlier this year, Cummins acquired many of the assets of First Mode, a Seattle-based developer of hydrogen-powered mining equipment, an acquisition that is expected to hasten the pace of development so that pilot retrofit units can be deployed later this year.
“We have a robust team of Cummins and former First Mode experts dedicated to hybrid development and optimization,” Cummins Vice President of Power Systems Industrial Markets Gbile Adewunmi said, “and now collaborating with Komatsu, we can bring miners the flexibility and confidence they need to decarbonize and improve total cost of operations.”
First Mode General Manager Molly Puga said Cummins expects to deliver hybrid products at scale well before 2030. “The initial First Mode retrofit kit pilot will go into the market in the coming months,” Puga said, “where we expect to see double-digit fuel savings in mining operations.”
Cummins and Komatsu have teamed up before, including in 2024, when the two companies collaborated with Brazil-based global mining company Vale to develop dual fuel haul trucks, and in 2022 when they worked together to develop zero-emissions trucks.