Cummins aims for LFP battery tech to cater growing e-bus market in India

Cummins Group in India, leading power solutions technology provider, mulling to launch lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery pack solutions for the evolving electric city bus market in India over the next five years, as per a senior company executive. 

According to Brian Wilson, New Power Global Leader Cummins, 50 percent of India’s city bus market will turn electric in next five years and LFP technology is going to grab a sizable share within this market due to its significant cost advantage. 

“India’s city bus market is evolving at a faster pace and LFP technology is widely adopted here. These batteries can serve up to 10,000 cycles which is  2-3 times higher than other chemistries like Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) which allows it to last till the life of the vehicle. Subsequently, we see a huge drop in total cost of ownership which is a key parameter in markets like India. And therefore we are keen to come up with lighter LFP battery solutions for the Indian e-bus market in coming years,” Wilson told Autocar Professional.

He further said that this technology is win-win from both customers as well as manufacturers as absence of metals like nickel and cobalt makes LFP batteries easier to produce and at a lower cost. 

At present the company is developing both LFP and NMC battery packs for medium and heavy duty trucks for global markets, which it plans to launch in 2024. As per Cummins, these are new generation battery pack solutions to serve diverse needs of charging time, weight, range and cost economics of a variety of applications in the market. Cummins batteries are equipped with an advanced Battery Management System (BMS) for monitoring various critical battery parameters, diagnostics and improving the battery life and performance, the company claims. 

Besides, Cummins India also showcased fuel-agnostic engine systems at the Auto Expo 2023 and aims to start its production in full swing by next year. Its fuel-agnostic engine platform is compatible with CNG, LNG, hydrogen and alternate fuels. As per the company, the fuel-agnostic architecture utilizes a common base engine with cylinder heads and fuel systems specifically tailored to fuel ranging from diesel, natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen. The platform offers OEMs common engine architecture across multiple fuel types resulting in a high degree of parts commonality, it added.