ANAHIEM, Calif. — “It’s an honor to kick off ACT Expo 2025,” said Jennifer Rumsey, chair and chief executive officer of Cummins. “We’re in a very different place than we were just a year ago. We always knew the energy transition was going to be dynamic, and it’s clear now it’s going to be even more dynamic, more uncertain, more divergent than we ever thought it would be.”

Rumsey, who has spent the last 25 years at Cummins first as a mechanical engineer and later as an executive, noted in her opening general session April 28 that regulations were driving the industry toward a net-zero future. Cummins, like most large OEMs, was investing a record amount of money to meet those goals. Yet, concerns regarding infrastructure investment to support the emerging technology also existed.

She said the trucking and bus industry is just now starting to understand how the Trump administration’s policies might impact the future.

“There’s proposals to reconsider or reevaluate EPA regulations and natural uncertainty as this process takes shape, the incentives for battery electric vehicles offered through the IRA used onshore manufacturing and help drive adoption are back on the negotiating table, and tariffs are being used as trade policies and also impacting our businesses,” Rumsey explained. “So, what does this mean for us today? It means there’s more uncertainty than ever before about the role regulations, incentives and trade policies will play for the future of our industry.”

She commented that despite a potential rollback of regulations, Cummins is continuing to invest billions of dollars to innovate and develop cleaner, more advanced and efficient technologies. “I’ve seen us over the last several decades, we’ve made real progress, real impact together,” she said, adding that even in terms of diesel engines, the industry has significantly reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency.

She noted that “advancements in fuel injection systems, turbo chargers, after treatment and controls, have reduced NOx and particulate emissions by more than 98 percent in the U.S. and 90 percent globally,” she continued. “To put that into perspective, today, it takes 60 class eight semis to emit what a single semi-truck emitted in 1988.”

Cummins, she said, has improved the per-gallon fuel mileage for its on highway heavy duty engines by nearly 25 percent since 2010. The company also set a goal of reducing 55 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its products already in the field from 2014 to 2030. That equates to 5.4 billion gallons of diesel fuel and almost $20 billions in savings.

“In fact, we are hitting that goal early,” Rumsey shared. “I’m pleased to share our goal to double our efforts for products and use over the next five years, helping many of you further improve fuel efficiency and reduce operating costs.”

She said all of this was achieved while also navigating challenges such as the COVID-19 recession and subsequent supply chain disruptions.

“I believe this is a time for us to come together to move the industry forward, to focus on the positive impact we can have in the midst of the uncertainty and challenges we are facing right now,” she said. “I remind myself each day of the beauty and goodness and the people and the world around us, and the opportunity that I and we all have to make a positive difference to ensure a planet where we our kids and our grandkids have access to clean air and water.”

She explained that everyone plays a role in empowering a more prosperous world. She provided three elements that she thinks be essential for success, the first being the right government regulations.

“We need to set clear and challenging but also achievable goals that drive innovation and allow the best technologies to compete and help meet the standards we set,” she said. “We need certainty and time to meet them, regulations that force the adoption of certain technologies may exclude some of the best solutions, and they may also overlook meaningful improvements in today’s technologies. We don’t want to let perfect be the enemy of good.”

She explained that many power solutions and alternative fuel sources will be in the mix for a long time. These include diesel, biodiesel blends, natural gas and hydrogen engines, as well as battery electric, fuel cell and hybrid solutions, “because no single solution will meet our broader goals.”

“Fair and unbiased regulations enable businesses to invest in a diverse portfolio of technologies that drive innovation and give choice to nations’ fleets,” she continued.

Second, she said the industry must consider the life cycle emissions of fuel or energy when making decisions on emission reduction and standards. Rumsey explained that it’s not just about the tail pipe emissions, but the complete cost of fuel production, transportation and distribution.

She said the industry also needs to continue making innovative improvements in technology offerings “that both reduce greenhouse gas and improve fuel efficiency, allowing our customers to find the most efficient, cost-effective solutions for their business and application needs,” she said.

She noted that improved fuel efficiency is the biggest greenhouse gas emission savings opportunity. “Our industry will continue operating internal combustion engines for many years, and it’s important to continue to make tangible and incremental improvements to diesel, while also advancing low carbon alternate fuels to give customers choice as the infrastructure builds out,” she said.

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For example, the new Cummins X15 engine is designed to improve fuel economy by 4 percent while greatly reducing NOx. She added, however, that battery-electric technologies are a part of the solution mix for reducing emissions and aligning with sustainability goals.

“Lithium-ion battery price per kilowatt hour has dropped by more than 85 percent in the last decade, and we are starting to see an increasing number of economic cases for electric vehicle adoption in certain commercial vehicle applications,” she said. “For example, Blue Bird has delivered more than 2,500 school buses equipped with electric powertrains and estimates that more than 90 percent of school bus routes can now be served by electric buses. That said, we need to continue to innovate in this space to ensure total cost of ownership gets close to that of diesel and enable adoption.”

She added that Cummins is partnering with Paccar, Daimler Truck of North America and Amplify Cell Technologies to manufacture lithium-ion phosphate battery cells for commercial vehicles at a plant outside of Memphis, Tennessee. A spokesman later told School Transportation News that the battery cells will be ready for market in 2027.

“While we’re currently in a period of vast uncertainty, my hope is that we can be unquestionably certain about one thing, our shared commitment to continue powering a more prosperous world to moving forward together, because no one can do it alone,” she said.

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More power options are coming soon to the large school bus space as Cummins prepares to launch a second gasoline engine option for the market and its long-awaited successor to the 6.7-liter diesel engine.

The gasoline or octane engine will be in full production next January, with the new B7.2 diesel engine available January 2027, the company announced earlier this month. The new gasoline engine will be available January 2026.

Both engines are the initial launches of Cummins’ HELM, or Higher Efficiency, Lower emissions and Multiple fuels, platform. The engine lineup is referred to as “fuel agnostic,” the base engine remains the same, but the fuel heads can be swapped for diesel, gasoline and eventually CNG.

Currently, the school bus industry only has one choice in gasoline and propane, that being the ROUSH CleanTech auto-gas system for Blue Bird.

Cummins originally planned on adding a propane offering on its HELM platform but announced last year it would forego that option.

The B7.2 meets the upcoming EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Phase 3 rule set to go into effect in 2027. The company said will emit approximately 85 percent less NOx and 50 percent less PM than 2010 model year diesel engines. In an overview provided to School Transportation News, Cummins explained that lower GHG result from the clean-sheet base engine and optimized components.

“One of the most significant changes is the increase in peak cylinder pressure capability, allowing us to extract the energy from the fuel more effectively,” the overview states. “As greenhouse gas emissions are directly proportional to fuel burned, the improvements made to improve GHG emissions also save fuel, reducing the operating costs of the new B7.2.”

The diesel will also be compatible with automatic engine shutdown and stop-start systems that can lower fuel consumption as well as GHG.

On a recent episode of the School Transportation Nation podcast recorded at STN EXPO East, Francisco Lagunas, general manager of the North America bus segment at Cummins, said the B7.2 diesel engine will provide a wider range of torque as the company address the various duty cycles of its customers and the environmental condition they operate in.

“There are big differences north to south, coast to coast. Cummins focuses on reliability and what’s best for the customer,” he added.

This includes ACUMEN that provides access and connectivity to a range of applications for , digital insights.

“Customers can utilize these detailed tools to enhance the driving experience including predictive capabilities and over-the-air features that will reduce visits to the shop, increase uptime and minimize the operations,” Lagunas continued. “It will also take advantage of options like compression brake or extend the oil drain intervals.”

Meanwhile, Lagunas said the new octane engine available next year will provide diesel-like performance for both reliability and durability. He added that fleet operators can expect 10 percent improved fuel economy based on the duty cycle.

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COLUMBUS, Ind. – Today global power and technology leader Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) announced an update to the legendary B-Series engine platform, unveiling the new Cummins B7.2 diesel engine at NTEA Work Truck Week in Indianapolis, IN.

“Our B engine is a legend known around the world. We are proud to unveil the newest version, the B7.2 diesel engine, right here in our backyard,” said Brett Merritt, Vice President and President – Engine Business.

“The B7.2 brings the latest technology and advancements to one of our most proven platforms. Combined with the rest of our medium-duty lineup, our customers will have the right engine choices to fit their business needs, with the power and dependability they have come to expect from Cummins.”

The B7.2 diesel is the next engine in the B series Cummins HELM platform, following the B6.7 Octane engine, and will bring state-of-the-art technology and continue to serve a variety of medium-duty and vocational applications, including bus, pickup & delivery, utility trucks, refuse, towing, and more.

The new engine will feature a slightly higher displacement, increasing to 7.2L, and is designed to be a global platform which allows customers to ensure their vehicles are ready for what’s to come, without sacrificing performance or durability. A higher displacement also allows for a wider range of torque offerings, creating flexibility for different applications and duty cycles. “Our customers have used the B-Series engine for more than 40 years and rely on it every day to meet their needs,” said Jose Samperio, Vice President – North America On-Highway. “It was important that we offer the reliability and performance that they have come to expect, while also creating an engine that is built to last for the future.”

The B7.2 will improve unrestricted top-end performance ratings, providing 240 to 340 hp and 650 to 1,000 lb.-ft of torque. Additionally, the new engine will be automatic engine shutdown and stop-start capable for improved greenhouse gas emissions and will offer a compression release engine brake and extended oil drain interval pan option.

It will also be equipped with Cummins’ full suite of digital technologies, which help enhance performance, maximize uptime and reduce total cost of ownership. The B7.2 provides digital connectivity and immediate access to a range of applications and capabilities through Acumen, Cummins’ smart computing hardware, and OEM first-fit solutions. Customers can utilize digital tools that enhance driver experience, including predictive capabilities (prognostics) and advanced over-the-air features. B7.2 is also Cummins Maintenance Monitor capable, reducing shop visits and minimizing cost of operation.

The B7.2 engine will be manufactured at Rocky Mount Engine Plant in North Carolina and will go into full production in North America starting in 2027. Find out more about the B7.2 and Cummins’ other mid-range line-up this week at NTEA Work Truck Week from March 5 to 7 in the Cummins Booth (#763) at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

About Cummins Inc.
Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, is comprised of five business segments Engine, Components, Distribution, Power Systems, and Accelera by Cummins  supported by our global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy, which is grounded in the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. The products range from advanced diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including after treatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, valvetrain technologies, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, axles, drivelines, brakes, suspension systems, electric power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems, hydrogen production technologies and fuel cell products. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 76,500 people committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment, and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online, through a network of company-owned and independent distributor locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and earned $3.9 billion on sales of $34.1 billion in 2024. See how Cummins is leading the world toward a future of smarter, cleaner power at www.cummins.com.

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