Cummins acquires hybrid heavy mining equipment experts First Mode

Cummins has its eye on hybrid powertrains to help decarbonize the transport, construction, and mining spaces the operates in. To that end, the company has acquired the hybrid equipment experts First Mode, and plans to make the first commercially available retrofit hybrid system for mining equipment a reality not just soon – but now.

The Cummins brand is almost synonymous with diesel in the US, but they’re making big moves in the ZEV space, too, with their Accelera brand and, now, with their purchase of First Mode.

The acquisition includes the rights to all of First Mode’s tech in the mining and rail space, where the company has developed a full IP portfolio of “energy agnostic” (my words) electric drive powertrains that can draw power from internal combustion engines, hydrogen fuel cells, or batteries. And, because the First Mode Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) retrofit is designed as a modular platform, it allows equipment fleets to either back out of the electric drive conversion or take them a step further, going to fully battery electric operation with same (relative) ease.

That sort of flexibility will help Cummins meet customers where they’re at – whether they’re OEMs, or fleet managers at multibillion-dollar mining operations.

“This acquisition is an important step forward in our goal to lead our Power Systems customers through the energy transition,” explains Jenny Bush, President of Power Systems at Cummins. “With First Mode’s hybrid retrofit technology, we are accelerating our ability to provide decarbonization solutions that meet miners’ need to drive down operating costs today.”

We’ve seen this before

If the notion of converting heavy equipment from diesel to electric sounds familiar, that means you’ve been paying attention. The heavy mining equipment experts at Liebherr recently converted a pair of their massive R 9400 excavators from diesel to battery electric power for use at a Fortescue mine.

That project was successful enough to move millions of tons of Earth in just a few months – leading to a $4 billion order from the global mining leader for even more electric equipment.

“The modular design of Liebherr equipment makes it possible to repower existing diesel excavators to new zero emission configurations, such as electric powertrains,” explains Oliver Weiss, Executive Vice President of R&D, Engineering, and Manufacturing for Liebherr Mining. “This means that the diesel equipment customers buy today is also future-proofed for many years to come. The fact that we can ease the transition from traditional to decarbonized mining fleets for our customers is one of the key strategies of the Liebherr Zero Emission Mining Program.”

For their part, Cummins’ executives seem just as excited by the promise of offering electrified mining equipment that can utilize existing assets, dramatically extending their life while reducing the up-front costs usually associated with electrification.

“Cummins’ dedication to partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and miners ensures that these technologies are developed and tested in real-world environments,” Jenny Bush adds. “With hybrid retrofit kits, modular component upgrades and scalable solutions, we are bringing miners the flexibility and confidence they need to decarbonize operations while adapting to evolving technologies and infrastructure.”

Cummins believes its trusted relationships with OEMs across various industries combined with their vast global service and parts network will give their hybrid retrofit packages a competitive edge, delivering technical support that similar, startup outfits simply can’t.

SOURCE | IMAGES: First Mode, via Cummins.