Cummins Group in India, a power solutions technology provider, unveiled a fuel agnostic platform and its diversified range of hydrogen technologies power solutions at Auto Expo 2023 today, in India Expo Mart, Noida, India.

At the product launch event, the company brought its Destination Zero strategy to life by unveiling low zero emission products focused on decarbonisation. According to Cummins, the launch event was presided by senior officials from Cummins Inc and India where the leadership team reinforced that Cummins is actively working to transition its customers to products that ultimately eliminate carbon emission and will have the right products to serve customers throughout the transition. 

Speaking at the launch event, Ashwath Ram, Managing Director, Cummins Group in India, said, “We share India’s vision of ‘Energy for Sustainable Growth’ and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070. With a promising combination of our strong, global technological expertise and our deep understanding of the India market due to our 60+ year legacy, we are well positioned to contribute toward India’s aim of becoming a cleaner and greener ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. We understand that the road transport sector has a major role to play in helping reduce emissions so India can meet its climate goals, and we are deeply committed to play our part in powering the nation’s decarbonisation journey. Our innovation can be seen in action through the range of solutions on display at Auto Expo this week, and it reaffirms our commitment to decarbonisation. We will continue to work together with our stakeholders on low carbon and zero emissions solutions that further our shared goal of reducing our carbon footprint on the planet.”

Srikanth Padmanabhan, President – Engine Business, Cummins Inc, said, “Realising a net-zero future will require a range of technologies, and no one understands that better than Cummins. Our Destination Zero strategy considers the significant diversity of applications in our industry. We power some of the world's most demanding and economically vital applications. There is not a single solution or path to zero that will work for all these applications, considering the variation in duty cycles and operating environments and locations. We must advance solutions in a way that secures a sustainable future for the industries that keep the world running. That's why we have developed the broadest range of ultra-low and zero-emission technologies dedicated to the commercial vehicle industry, which is being showcased at the Auto Expo.”

Destination Zero is part of the framework of Cummins’ broader PLANET 2050 environmental sustainability strategy, which also includes a focus on improving the communities the company operates in, and using natural resources in the most responsible way.

Cummins is showcasing its fuel agnostic platform, demonstrating a practical way to reduce emissions now, using technology that OEMs, fleet managers and operators are familiar with. Cummins claims that the fuel-agnostic architecture utilises a common base engine with cylinder heads and fuel systems, specifically tailored to fuel ranging from diesel to natural gas to renewable to natural gas to hydrogen. The platform offers OEMs common engine architecture across multiple fuel types, resulting to a high degree of parts commonality.

At the Auto Expo 2023, the fuel-agnostic platform concept is demonstrated through – 

Move to zero carbon fuel (Innovation in ICE technology – fuel agnostic platform)

• Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (B6.7H engine)
  Cummins states that part of the fuel agnostic platform is what could become the most practical to reaching zero carbon emissions for medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturers – Cummins’ hydrogen internal combustion B6.7H engine. When paired with green hydrogen, this engine produces zero Well-To-Wheel CO2 emissions. Moreover, it has an industry-leading 700 bar hydrogen tank that enables quick refueling, as per Cummins.
  
  With the B6.7H engine, Cummins has addressed the medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses segment, thus highlighting the technology’s ability to support decarbonisation across multiple duty-cycles.
  
  Immediate shift to low-carbon technology
  
  Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine (CNG/LNG/Bio-CNG) 
  Cummins claims that natural gas engines help lower emissions and reduce a vehicle’s overall environmental impact, without sacrificing the performance needed to get the job done. Natural gas engines are also the most mature, proven and least disruptive alternative power technology available today. According to Cummins, natural gas infrastructure is available and accelerates the government’s vision of increasing natural gas share in energy mix from 6-15 percent by 2030. Significant investments are already planned to build the infrastructure, both on CNG and LNG, and this technology will help achieve the government’s vision.
  
  Cummins states that its B6.7H Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine is the industry’s first big bore natural gas engine, purpose built to support CO2 emissions reduction in long distance trucking, up to 10 percent Co2 reduction achievable for CNG/LNG over a diesel truck and up to 75 percent Co2 reduction achievable when used with bio-gas, thus improving air quality as per BSVI compliance and capability of Euro VII, too. 
  
  Switching to the latest generation diesel technology
  
  Advanced diesel (B6.7 diesel/Bio-diesel) 
  With a foundation of almost 700,000 Euro VI, low emission engines supplied, Cummins showcased its latest generation advanced diesel platform. As per Cummins, its advanced diesel B6.7 engines give customers the opportunity to reduce emissions, alongside significant improvements in power and torque, as they are built on the industry’s first fuel agnostic platform, compliant to BSVI OBDIII emission norms.
  
  Innovative zero emission solutions
  
  Electrolyzer (for green H2 generation)
  Electrolyzer takes the water as input and splits it into hydrogen and oxygen as output. Cummins claims that when supplied with renewable energy, the H2 generated is called green H2, since the process doesn’t have any carbon footprint. Cummins has supplied and commissioned more than 600 electrolyzers worldwide with PEM and alkaline technologies, it states. The company displayed a modular variant of the state-of-the-art electrolyzer-stack technology at the Auto Expo 2023.
  
  Hydrogen fuel cell
  Cummins’ latest generation fuel cell engine will showcase the rapid evolution of zero emissions technologies. For customers that need and want to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions today, hydrogen fuel cells would be an apt solution when supplied with green H2 as fuel, according to Cummins. Building on the deployments of more than 2,000 fuel cells globally for various applications, including buses, trucks, stationery power and railways, this next generation product provides improved power density, efficiency and durability, and is available in single (rated power - 125kW) and dual module (rated power - 240kW) engines for both medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that can work in diverse working environments from -30 °C to 45 °C, with 60 percent peak efficiency.
  
  Battery-electric technology (Battery-LFP and NMC)
  Drawing on deep duty cycle and application experience, Cummins has developed the new generation battery pack solutions. The company is showcasing multiple batteries that help customers to reach zero emissions today, Cummins claims. These lithium-ion batteries are with distinct chemistries, like lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) that optimise to serve diverse needs of charging time, weight, range and cost economics of a variety of applications in the market. According to Cummins, the batteries are equipped with advanced Battery Management System (BMS) for monitoring various critical battery parameters, diagnostics and improve the battery life and performance.
  
  Electric powertrain technology (14Xe ePowertrain)
  Cummins recently announced its acquisition of Meritor, a global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and electric powertrain technologies. The addition of Meritor strengthens Cummins’ industry-leading range of powertrain components and will enable accelerated development of electrified power solutions. As per Cummins, together with Meritor, they will move further and faster in developing economically viable decarbonised powertrain solutions that advance the company’s Destination Zero strategy.
  
  The 14Xe ePowertrain is designed for scalability and can be adapted to fit various electric powertrain needs based on the vehicle application and duty cycle. Cummins claims that its design provides high-efficiency, lower weight and better turning radius. Thus, it enables longer vehicle range by integrating the motor and transmission into the axle, thereby freeing up space for more batteries.

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Ahmedabad-based electric two-wheeler brand Avore Electric launched its first electric motorcycle – the Avore Electric EX at prices starting at INR 124,999 (ex-showroom).

The e-motorcycle is available in three variants – the EX 2S, EX 2 and EX 1. The model range was developed over three years using the company's indigenous AVORE Source technology stack and AVR vehicle platform. The development process involved over 120 intellectual property filings across nine vehicle systems, including the battery management system, motor controller, onboard charger and operating system.

The EVs use a rare-earth-free Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) with peak power output ranging between 7.5 kW and 10.5 kW depending on the variant, while all three models produce 250 Nm of peak wheel torque.

The EX 2S attains a claimed top speed of 114 kmph, whereas the EX 2 and EX 1 reach top speeds of 100 kmph. The powertrain utilises an integrated motor and swingarm structure to manage chassis balance and weight distribution.

The EX 2S and EX 2 carry IDC-certified range ratings of 260 km and 255 km respectively, while the EX 1 carries an IDC-certified range rating of 160 km. All variants include a 1500W onboard charger compatible with standard 5A and 15A domestic sockets, charging the battery from 20 per cent to 80 percent in two hours and reaching a full charge in a claimed four hours. The battery pack is homologated by NATRAX, and the battery management system is validated by ICAT.

Software systems integrated into the platform include the AVORE SENSE operating system, an artificial intelligence (AI) companion named Avore Synapse and an automatic manual gear mode. The platform complies with AIS 156 and AIS 038 safety standards and underwent 100,000 km of road testing alongside 2,500 hours of dynamometer testing prior to commercial introduction.

Priyank Rakholiya, Founder, Avore Electric, said, "We dedicated three years to research, development, testing, and validation before the launch of the EX so as to ensure class-leading engineering and innovation. We are ensuring global-levels of safety and performance, while pushing the frontiers of Indian-developed electric mobility technology stacks that deliver reliability, consistency, and economic viability. Our goal is to improve adoption and accessibility to world-class electric mobility solutions for every Indian and we are confident that the EX is just the start of our journey towards that direction."

Bookings for the EX series have opened on the manufacturer's website at an initial reservation amount of INR 799, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in two months. The battery pack is supplied with a 5-year or 60,000 km warranty.

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Energy In Motion, a provider of integrated electric mobility solutions for long-haul freight transportation, has executed an agreement with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation to establish and operate charging and battery swapping infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles at retail outlets across India.

As per the understanding, Energy In Motion will deploy swap-and-charge hubs on freight corridors including Mumbai–Pune, Delhi–Jaipur and Chennai–Bangalore over the next 18 to 24 months. These stations will support vehicles such as the Ashwa 55-tonne e-tractor, providing battery exchange capability in 7 minutes.

Energy In Motion manages battery inventory and hardware, while Hindustan Petroleum Corporation provides space and utilities across its network of over 25,000 retail outlets.

Narendra Murkumbi, Managing Director, Energy In Motion, said, “Charging infrastructure succeeds or fails on reliability. Working with HPCL allows us to place charging and swapping where drivers already stop – sites with power, space, amenities, safety systems and staff on duty. Combining our battery and fleet expertise with HPCL’s nationwide retail network lets us build dependable swap-and-charge hubs on the corridors that carry India’s freight and to do it at the pace the transition demands.”

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Hero MotoCorp's electric mobility brand, VIDA, has made its international market entry into Nepal through a partnership with CG Motors.

The launch was announced by Kausalya Nandakumar, Chief Business Officer, Emerging Mobility Business Unit, Hero MotoCorp and Nirvana Chaudhary, Managing Director, Chaudhary Group.

The introduction features the VIDA VX2 Evooter range – comprising the VX2 Plus and VX2 Go variants – alongside the VIDA DIRT.E K3 youth off-roader. The VX2 Plus features a 4.4 kWh setup, delivering a 140 km range and a top speed of 90 kmph, while the VX2 Go uses a 2.2 kWh battery with a 75 km range. The DIRT.E K3 is an electric off-roader equipped with a 350W motor and app-based parental controls.

Kausalya Nandakumar said, “This launch marks a proud and defining moment as VIDA goes global. We are thrilled to take the very best of our engineering and design capabilities beyond India, starting with Nepal, a strategically crucial market where riders are quickly adopting smart electric mobility. The VIDA VX2 EVOOTER range and the VIDA DIRT.E K3 are built to redefine the future of mobility, and through our collaboration with CG Motors, we are ensuring that the Nepalese customers have access to premium, reliable, and technologically advanced riding experience.”

Nirvana Chaudhary added, “The entry of VIDA perfectly aligns with Nepal's shift towards sustainable mobility. By offering advanced electric products & solutions tailored for both, everyday commuters and the next generation of riders, this product launch redefines our two-wheeler landscape. CG Motors is proud to strengthen its partnership with Hero MotoCorp and partner with VIDA to drive our nation's green transition forward."

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Pune-headquartered electric commercial vehicle manufacturer EKA Mobility has announced that Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, recently flagged off 15 EKA Mobility electric buses in Zanzibar. The commercial operations for the e-buses is scheduled to begin on 1 August 2026.

The deployment forms part of an initial order of 35 e-buses, with the fleet expected to expand to 150 units by the end of the year.

EKA Mobility is collaborating with Global Rapid Transport and the Zanzibar Social Security Fund to train local personnel in vehicle operations, maintenance and safety systems.

Vijay Yelne, President – Export Marketing & SCM, EKA Mobility, said, "The launch of Zanzibar's first electric bus fleet is a strong validation of EKA's technology and our ability to deliver world-class electric mobility solutions beyond India. It demonstrates that products designed and manufactured in India can successfully meet the evolving mobility needs of international markets. This is another step in taking Indian engineering to the world, and we see Africa as a key growth market in EKA's global expansion journey."

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