Cummins (NYSE: CMI), best known as a manufacturer of heavy-duty diesel engines, recently unveiled a prototype electric truck. Now the company has taken another step towards electrification with the acquisition of Brammo, which develops electric drivetrains and battery packs.
Brammo was founded in 2002 to build electric motorcycles (and was featured in the February 2014 issue of Charged). In 2015, it sold its motorcycle business to Polaris, and focused on making battery packs and electric drivetrains for other EV projects. The company recently developed a 1,100-pound battery pack for an electric helicopter.
The acquisition of Brammo makes Cummins’s plans for electric trucks clearer.
“To be a leading provider of electrified power systems just as we are with diesel and natural gas driven powertrains, we must own key elements and subsystems of the electrification network,” said Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger. “By adding the expertise of Brammo, we are taking a step forward in our electrification business and differentiating ourselves from our competition. When markets are ready, Cummins will bring our customers the right power solution at the right time.”
“Brammo’s expertise across a broad range of applications uniquely positions us to enhance Cummins’s efforts to be a leader in the electrified power space,” said Craig Bramscher, Chairman and CEO of Brammo.