Product Engineering Intern

Cummins' Brazilian engineers develop new axle for electric city buses up to 22 tonnes, targeting 2027 production. The MC-17X, designed at Cummins' 70-year-old Osasco axle operation - whose history traces back to 1956 and which only became part of Cummins through the 2022 Meritor acquisition - reinforces the rear axle to handle heavier battery packs and the reversed load forces of regenerative braking. Cummins has developed a new rear axle for urban electric buses weighing up to 22 tonnes gross vehicle weight, according to Diário do Transporte (Adamo Bazani), designed specifically for 4x2 bus configurations and expected to enter production in July 2027. Called the MC-17X, the axle is engineered to handle the mechanical changes electrification brings to a vehicle's drivetrain - chiefly, heavier battery packs and the load reversals generated during regenerative braking. The project is part of a new generation of axles developed by Cummins' Brazilian engineering team at its Osasco, São Paulo axle operation, alongside the MS-14X, aimed at electric urban delivery trucks up to 17 tonnes, and the MT-17XHE, a high-efficiency axle for conventional 6x4 trucks. Cummins has not disclosed which bus manufacturers or specific models will initially use the MC-17X. A 70-year operation, only recently part of Cummins. The Osasco site's history predates Cummins' involvement by more than six decades. It began on 16 July 1956 as Oficina de Peças para Automóveis, majority-owned by Brazilian rail-equipment maker Cobrasma with a 30% stake held by US-based Rockwell, and passed through a series of corporate identities - Cresa, Braseixos Rockwell, Braseixos, Rockwell Braseixos, Meritor (from 1997), and ArvinMeritor (2000-2011, when the operation also covered light-vehicle systems) - before reverting to the Meritor name in 2011. The site only became part of Cummins when the company completed its acquisition of Meritor globally in August 2022. According to AutoIndústria, the division has invested R$220 million over the past six years, a third of it since the Cummins integration, and Kleber Assanti, General Director of Cummins' Axle Division, said the acquisition "contributes to increasing industrial capacity and the ability to innovate." Why electrification changes what an axle needs to do. In a 4x2 configuration, the rear axle handles two demanding jobs simultaneously: transmitting traction force and supporting a large share of the vehicle's total weight. In battery-electric buses, that second job becomes more demanding, since energy-storage packs can add structural load to the axles compared with equivalent diesel vehicles. The MC-17X uses a reinforced differential, laser welding, higher-capacity bearings, new crown-and-pinion gear sets, and a cast housing developed specifically for this application; according to AutoData, the laser-welded differential also eliminates fasteners between the ring gear and differential case, reducing axle mass by roughly 20kg. Rafael Souza, Cummins' Product Director and PMO for its Axle Division, said the combination of regenerative-braking forces and increased axle loading required a full review of internal components and structural design, rather than adapting existing conventional-axle parts - a design approach Technibus reports took roughly four years of development and testing. During deceleration and energy regeneration, the electric motor operates as a generator, and components such as the crown gear, pinion, and bearings can experience loads in different directions and intensities than in conventional applications, according to Cummins. A broader family of new axles, developed in Brazil. Alongside the bus-focused MC-17X, Cummins' Brazilian engineers developed the MS-14X for 6x2 electric trucks used mainly in urban distribution, rated for vehicles up to 17 tonnes and scheduled for production from January 2027; its external architecture derives from the existing MS-120 axle, previously used in vehicles around 11 tonnes, but Cummins says nearly the entire internal assembly was redesigned, including larger bearings and reinforced crown-and-pinion components to handle regenerative-braking loads - an application-capacity increase of roughly 55%. Differential assembly for this axle will take place at Cummins' Osasco plant. Separately, Cummins is developing the MT-17XHE, a high-efficiency axle for conventional 6x4 diesel trucks, targeting production from July 2027; the company says redesigned lubrication routing, new bearing geometries and surface treatments, and improved crown-and-pinion alignment together deliver an efficiency improvement of approximately 2%, based on its development and validation testing - a company-reported figure, not an independent measurement. The platform is undergoing validation in Italy, while structural housing tests are conducted at Cummins' Mechanical Engineering Laboratory in Osasco; an unnamed partner automaker is separately evaluating integrating the component into a vehicle. Cummins estimates that for a truck covering 100,000km annually at roughly 1.8km per liter of diesel, that efficiency gain could save around 1,090 liters of fuel per year, or more than 545,000 liters annually across a 500-vehicle fleet - savings the company says depend on application, cargo weight, terrain, and operating profile. The MT-17XHE's differential uses a global platform but has a housing developed by Cummins' Brazilian engineers to account for local conditions including heavier combined weights, long distances, varied terrain, and road-surface differences found in Brazilian operations; the axle remains in the homologation phase. Manufacturing processes for the new axle family include shot peening - controlled application of small metal spheres to component surfaces - intended to improve fatigue resistance under the repeated acceleration and deceleration cycles typical of urban vehicle operation. Cummins currently expects to expand its high-efficiency axle family further between 2028 and 2030, including a planned 18XHE model for 6x2 vehicles. Sources: Diário do Transporte (Adamo Bazani) · AutoIndústria · Canal Diesel (Osasco operational history) · Portal da Autopeça, Automotive Business, O Carreteiro (Meritor Brazil corporate history)

Cummins joins Emerald to advance customer-focused innovation across power, mobility and energy. Zurich, Switzerland - Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI), a global power solutions leader, has joined Emerald Technology Ventures as a Limited Partner to strengthen access to emerging technologies and startup partnerships that can support the company's long-term strategy across power, mobility, energy systems, digital tools and industrial decarbonization. The relationship builds on Cummins' innovation story: applying deep technical expertise to solve customers' most important power challenges, while advancing practical solutions that support today's needs and the transition to a lower-carbon future. For more than a century, Cummins has innovated alongside its customers, evolving its technologies and capabilities as power needs have changed. Partnering with Emerald gives Cummins another way to expand that innovation pipeline by engaging with emerging companies in areas such as advanced mobility, electrification, alternative fuels, energy efficiency and digital technologies. The focus is on identifying practical, scalable technologies that align with customer needs, strengthen Cummins' core businesses and support the company's commitment to lead the industry through the energy transition. "Innovation has always been central to Cummins' ability to help customers succeed through industry transitions," said Jeff Wiltrout, VP Corporate Strategy. "Our relationship with Emerald provides another channel to identify and evaluate technologies that could support our customers' evolving needs and furthers our growth strategy." Through Emerald's LP platform, Cummins will benefit from: * Targeted startup access across energy systems, electrification, digitalization, mobility, and industrial technologies * Structured market and sector insights and engagement, including tailored dealflow, regular sector deep dives, and priority access to Emerald's investment teams * Open innovation support, such as Emerald Sprint programs that enable rapid piloting and collaboration with selected startups * Ecosystem connectivity, leveraging Emerald's global network of corporates, investors, and technology leaders Emerald's investment and innovation activities span critical areas aligned with Cummins' strategic priorities, including software-defined and connected vehicles, advanced powertrain technologies, batteries and electrification, clean, firm energy solutions, energy efficiency and power management, and data center and grid-related innovations. The partnership is designed to move beyond financial investment, focusing instead on practical collaboration, knowledge exchange, and measurable outcomes. "We are proud to welcome Cummins to the Emerald LP community," said Christoph Frei, Partner and Head of Energy at Emerald. "Cummins brings a unique combination of industrial scale, technology leadership, engineering excellence, and long-term commitment to sustainability. Together, we aim to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions by connecting Cummins with the most relevant innovators in our global ecosystem." About Emerald Technology Ventures. Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm, founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1.3 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with four current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and six third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups.