Accelera is the new brand of Cummins New Power business unit. It will power 1,000 Blue Bird electric school buses

Accelera is the new brand of Cummins New Power business unit. It. Announced yesterday, it is led by Amy Davis, who has been at the helm of the New Power business unit since 2020, will serve as President of Accelera. 

Together with unveiling the new brand identity, Cummins has announced that Accelera and Blue Bird have entered a deal to power a new fleet of 1,000 electric school buses across the United States over the next 12-18 months. “Production of the electric school buses will be significantly accelerated, more than doubling the zero-emissions school buses that the pair have put into operation since the start of production. With 1,000 new electric school buses on the road, 10,600 metric tons of harmful carbon emissions will be prevented annually”, Accelera says.

Duties and commitments of Accelera by Cummins include powering 52 fuel cell city buses in Lingang, Shanghai as well as the world’s first fleets of hydrogen fuel cell passenger trains in Germany. Recently acquired Meritor and Siemens Commercial Vehicle business will be “embedded” in Accelera.

Cummins launches Accelera

The launch of Accelera means a significant step forward in Cummins’ efforts to achieve its Destination Zero strategy, focused on evolving Cummins technologies to reach zero emissions across its product portfolio. Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy is rooted in the understanding that multiple solutions are required to achieve industry-wide decarbonization across the diverse applications the company powers. Over the past several years, Cummins states it has invested more than $1.5 billion million in research and technology, capital and acquisitions to build Accelera’s leadership and technological capabilities.

“Accelera is now a global leader in zero-emissions technologies, providing battery electric and fuel cell electric solutions across commercial and industrial applications with hundreds of electrolyzers generating hydrogen around the world today”, the group says.

Cummins efforts to reducing emissions in the industry

Accelera is making significant strides in developing a variety of zero-emissions technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, batteries, e-axles, traction systems, and electrolyzers. These innovative solutions are being implemented in a wide range of industries, from commercial transportation to chemical production, to provide sustainable power sources. As both a components supplier and integrator, Accelera is committed to reducing carbon emissions in various applications, including buses, trucks, trains, construction equipment, stationary power, and carbon-intensive industrial processes.

“Achieving our goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 requires leveraging our entire portfolio of businesses,” said Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we have continued to lead in and advance the engine-based solutions that power our customers’ businesses, we have also built the broadest combination of zero-emissions technologies dedicated to the commercial vehicle industry like battery electric and fuel cell electric powertrain solutions and electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. Establishing Accelera reinforces our commitment to leading in zero-emissions solutions and highlights our unmatched ability to leverage our deep understanding of our customers’ needs and applications, technical expertise and extensive service and support network to walk hand in hand with our customers throughout the energy transition.”

“The purpose of Accelera is simple – to secure a sustainable future for the industries that keep the world running,” said Davis. “Launching this new brand drives additional focus in our business and enables us to stay ahead of the ever-changing zero-emissions landscape. By leveraging Cummins’ deep understanding of our customers’ needs and the demands of their applications, Accelera will deliver leading zero-emissions technologies necessary to accelerate the shift to zero.”  

Accelera by Cummins to supply electrolyzer in Varennes

Accelera by Cummins will supply a 90-megawatt proton exchange membrane electrolyzer system for Varennes Carbon Recycling’s plant in Quebec, Canada. The project, which will be the largest electrolyzer project Cummins has announced to date and a key step in advancing North America’s green hydrogen-based economy, will help turn non-recyclable waste into bio fuels and circular chemicals.