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IAL celebrates the happy Isuzu-Cummins news

Better power, quality, emissions and fuel efficiency the partners’ goal

 

Confirmation of the global link between Isuzu Motors Limited and Cummins has been welcomed by the truck-maker’s Australian arm.

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) sees the now-sealed Isuzu-Cummins Powertrain Partnership agreement as underscoring the commitment of both companies to continue to advance opportunities in developing diesel and diesel-based powertrain technology for a global market.

IAL chief operating officer Andrew Harbison is particularly taken with the possibilities it may present for Australian truck customers.

“We’re pleased to see this exciting collaboration take another step forward,” Harbison says.

“Both Cummins and Isuzu Motors Limited have extraordinary tenure in the global automotive sector, so it’s genuinely exciting to see where this synergy could lead.”

IAL expects the deal to cater to both advanced and developing global truck markets and believes the leveraging of complementary expertise and experience brings two of the world’s automotive heavyweights closer together.

“Australia is a highly-regarded market and we work closely with our parent company in Japan to ensure our customers have access to the world’s best road transport solutions,” Harbison says.

“This recent announcement is another important stride towards ensuring that continues long into the future.”

At its highest level, Powertrain Partnership will see an alliance board formed to bolster exploration of potential opportunities in technology development, procurement and manufacturing, the partners say. 

“As Cummins celebrates 100 years of innovation, we continue to look for opportunities to build global relationships with companies that share our values and our focus on innovation,” Cummins Inc chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger says.

“This partnership is a terrific opportunity for both companies to leverage our respective strengths and create new opportunities to grow and broaden the product portfolio we bring to customers.”


Read our in-depth analysis of the partnership’s potential, here


The alliance in predicated on diesel remaining a “primary power solution in many markets” but its stated goal is innovations and advances in “power, quality, emissions and fuel efficiency”.

“Isuzu and Cummins recognize the advanced diesel engine is, and will continue to be, an important power choice for global customers in commercial vehicle and industrial applications,” Isuzu Motors president and representative director Masanori Katayama says.

“This is especially true in developed countries where power sources are used for high-intensity operations, as well as in emerging countries where social infrastructure conditions are severe.”

The deal is a strong example of the Isuzu’s pragmatism on propulsion.

Notwithstanding its continuing development electric vehicle development with SEA Electric, IAL chief engineer and product strategist Simon Humphries noted during a presentation on the Brisbane Truck Show sidelines that, at this stage, electric truck operations were most suited to urban diving due to battery  power regeneration from stopping and starting.

This gives diesel many years to run, especially in regional and long-haul operations.

That said, battery efficiency was advancing as fast as was seen as doing a year ago – at 20 per cent since mid-last year, according to Humphries.

 

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