Integrated Powertrain and Fuel-Agnostic Future to Reduce Transport Emissions

Cummins used the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show to demonstrate its latest progress on reducing emissions and improving efficiency, with a clear message that integration and flexibility will define the future of heavy-duty powertrains.

On the stand, Cummins executives Sean McLean, On-Highway Director and General Manager for Cummins Asia Pacific, and David Cole, Managing Director (Australia) and APAC Aftemarket, explained how the company is shifting from a component supplier to a full systems provider.

Integrated Powertrain for Efficiency

The centrepiece was an integrated powertrain featuring the X15 Euro 6 engine, Eaton Cummins’ 18-speed Endurant transmission, and Meritor axles and drivelines.

McLean said the move to Euro 6, mandated under ADR 80/04 from late 2024, makes the X15 the core product for Australia and New Zealand. Built on Cummins’ proven Euro 5 platform, the Euro 6 version adds advanced aftertreatment — combining SCR and DPF without EGR — to deliver a cleaner engine while retaining reliability.

Cole explained that by developing the engine, transmission, axle and driveline as a single package, Cummins has achieved up to 7% fuel efficiency gains compared to non-integrated systems. “In the past, each business optimised its own component. Now we design as a system, and that’s where the savings come from,” he said.

The HELM Platform: Fuel-Agnostic Design

Alongside today’s technology, Cummins also highlighted its next-generation HELM platform — an acronym for Higher Efficiency, Lower Emissions, Multiple Fuels.

McLean said HELM engines are being developed to run on diesel, natural gas, or hydrogen internal combustion, with 10-litre, 13-litre and 15-litre versions planned globally. “The benefit of a fuel-agnostic design is flexibility,” McLean explained. “Fleets can adopt the fuel that works for their market and still use common service and parts support.”

Support for Fleets in Transition

Both executives emphasised Cummins’ ongoing commitment to support existing products as new technologies are rolled out.

“The current 15-litre platform will continue to be supported for years,” McLean said. “Our network of technicians across the South Pacific is one of our strengths, and that support doesn’t disappear when new products arrive.”

Cole added that Cummins’ acquisition of Meritor and partnerships with Eaton are key to delivering incremental improvements in reliability, weight reduction and friction reduction. Features such as self-lubricating drivelines capable of running for a million miles without servicing highlight the practical changes already benefiting operators.

A Practical Path to Lower Emissions

While future zero-emission solutions such as fuel cells and battery-electric trucks are on the horizon, McLean and Cole stressed that efficiency gains today are just as important.

From Euro 6 engines tailored for Australian conditions, to integrated powertrains that cut fuel costs, to HELM engines capable of switching fuels as infrastructure evolves — Cummins is positioning itself as a partner for fleets through every stage of the decarbonisation journey.