Destination Zero

Cummins is devoting resources to tackle what some say is the greatest technological challenge in its 103-year history, a zero-emissions generator capable of meeting upcoming California regulatory standards.

By RV News Staff | Photos by 651 Lab

Cummins is developing a path to what it calls “Destination Zero”—a goal to provide zero-emission power-generating products by 2050. The plan was revved up by new California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations for small off-road engines. Those new regulations will impact Cummins’ RV gas generators used in California. The standard mandates reaching zero emissions by 2028, with an added requirement to be halfway to the standard by 2024.

To meet the challenge, Cummins is supercharging its Mobile Power division of employees, adding new staff and updated responsibilities. As supplychain challenges, particularly with semiconductor chips, hampered deliveries in 2021, Cummins assigned an A-Team of executives to find solutions.

“We set up an organization called ‘Mobile Power’ that wakes up every day solely focused on the customer requirements for RV and commercial applications,” said Jennifer Hodson, Mobile Power sales and marketing director. “(Mobile Power Technology Executive Director) Kelly Schmitz was brought over from another business unit to exclusively focus on product planning. We are taking this seriously. We are putting some really big guns and knowledgeable people on it, along with our very talented sales team, who we have had for many years, and are established in the industry.”

Hodson said leaders were assigned to each component deemed a longterm impediment to the supplier’s recent ability to deliver generators to RV OEMs. Each executive oversees a dedicated cadre of people for every component’s availability.

“As a company, we have really put a lot of resources and effort behind how we mitigate this and ensure our customers are not as impacted as they may be in other industries,” Hodson said.

Schmitz has spent 23 years with Cummins. He leads the product planning and engineering teams. Under Schmitz, Cummins is working to create new gas generators that will meet California’s 2024 emission standard as well as a future zeroemission solution.

“Cummins is committed to providing the next generation of power,” said Karl Wilson, Cummins’ Mobile Power sales director. “Kelly’s main purpose is to bridge us into that next generation of power.”

Nelson Moore, Cummins’ plant manager assistant, reviews the acoustical testing center. The center is large enough to fit an RV inside, with microphones placed around the RV to capture and isolate generator sounds during operation.

Cummins Assembly Operator Chee Thao assembles an RV generator drip pan.

Meeting State Standards In January, Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger and President and COO Jennifer Rumsey unveiled a strategy to reach Destination Zero.

Even before the announcement, Schmitz said the supplier made strategic investments in emission-reducing technologies. He cited fuel cell batteries and hydrogen electrolyzers among clean technology investments made during the past three to four years.

“Climate change is the existential crisis of our time, and we must work together to solve it,” Linebarger and Rumsey said. “Our ability to deliver on our mission of making people’s lives better, by powering a more prosperous world, is threatened by the world’s climate challenges.”

CARB approved new small off-road engine (SORE) standards late last year after contemplating the new standards in 2020. The announcement left many RV industry participants speculating Cummins was exiting the gas/LP generator space. Those speculations were incorrect.

“The memo recently sent to customers that was perceived as us leaving the market was not an exit strategy,” Wilson said. “Far from that.”

Hodson added, “We want to be known as a transparent partner in the industry. When we feel we are not going to hit specific dates, that does not mean we are not working on it. We are going to let you know that Jan. 1 is not likely.”

Wilson said Cummins continues manufacturing RV generators, both

Assembly Operator Christian Contreras assembles an RV generator muffler. Assembly Operator Chi Yang builds Onan generator control boxes. The boxes hold control boards.

We set up an organization called ‘Mobile Power’ that wakes up every day solely focused on the customer requirements for RV and commercial applications.”

– Jennifer Hodson

Assembly Operator Eva Biswas builds generator exhaust manifolds. Assembly Operator Lavee Her secures the generator’s engine to the baseplate.

Assembly Operator Jim Ward secures the generator’s wiring harness. Assembly Operator Jennifer Yang inspects the Onan generator’s assembly.

fixed-mount and portable models. However, the 2024 model year generators will not immediately comply with California’s new standards. In March, the company told customers that meeting the 2024 deadline is unlikely.

Wilson said manufacturing generators to meet nonuniform state standards adds supplier and RV OEM complexities. However, he said RV manufacturers are ultimately responsible for ensuring generators installed after Jan. 1, 2024, that are noncompliant, are not sold in California.

“We are not stopping production,” Wilson said. “It is not ideal for anybody, but yes, we are going to continue to have an option for them.”

In addition to the ongoing production of non-California-compliant generators, Cummins engineers continue racing to reach the required Jan. 1, 2024-midpoint standards, as well as work toward mandatory 2028 full zero-emission standards.

“The challenge is it gets a bit messy between where we are today and how you get to zero,” Schmitz said. “Given the current regulatory timeline, the different standards between CARB and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), alongside the significant changes to generators the standards would necessitate, Cummins will not have any gas/LP/EVAP products that meet the new regulations readily available on Jan. 1, 2024.”

Technology Leap Wilson said given time, reaching the CARB 2024 emissions standard is achievable. Numerous ways exist. Cummins could make smaller, less powerful generators. However, the generators would be incapable of meeting all RV consumers’ expectations.

“It still has to power the air conditioner. You cannot drop the power by half…say it meets emissions (standards) but cannot handle the load,” Wilson said. “There are a lot of constraints tied to making it happen, especially in the time frame that has been given.”

Schmitz said Cummins is testing various solutions as it balances what is technically feasible and market- preferred generator price points.

“Based on the work we have done in the last few months, I am confident it is feasible,” Schmitz said. “The challenge is the package does not exist today.”

Developing a gas generator is typically a three- to four-year project, Schmitz said. Cummins must reduce its traditional time frame to a mere two years.

“Long term, I am confident we can get there,” he said. “There are so many options on the table. Those technologies are quite expensive, and not technically proven out yet in the marketplace. We need to put the right pieces together and find the right content that does not drive the price up too much.”

Achieving zero emissions is one hurdle, but Wilson said the duration that the solution needs to provide power in a zero-emissions state complicates Cummins’ upgrading efforts. He said most engine types included in the rule concern items like lawnmowers and leaf blowers. Those types of machines do not need to operate as long as generators need to in order to provide constant power to an off-grid RV.

“Trying to provide zero emissions with infinite life is where power generation separates from lawnmowers or other outdoor equipment,” Wilson said.

Because many other states are not adopting zero-emission standards so quickly, Schmitz said he thinks combustion generators will remain in use for years in other parts of the country. He said battery-powered systems simply do not have the same power capacity as combustion generators.

Cummins is committed to providing the next generation of power. Kelly (Schmitz’s) main purpose is to bridge us into that next generation of power.”

– Karl Wilson

“Depending on the type of use, that may or may not suit all our consumers,” Schmitz said. “That is the reason we are terming it ‘the messy middle.’”

Cummins’ leadership team has immense resolve to improve and ultimately meet the standard, even if it does not initially cross the compliance deadline, according to Schmitz.

Today’s Advancements Cummins upgraded fixed-mount and portable generators after introducing the first inverter-based generator in 1996. Variable-speed inverter generators resulted in a significant step forward in generator technology.

Wilson said earlier technologies required running at 3,200 or 3,600 revolutions per minute (RPMs) to achieve 60 hertz of power. Variablespeed inverter generators enable Cummins to use smaller engines able to run faster when heavy loads require power but then slow down as power loads wane.

Cummins’ Onan 2800I, a 2,800watt high-efficiency gas generator, runs between 2,445 and 2,900 RPMs to create 60 hertz of power.

“I get the advantage of less noise, a smaller size and lighter weight all in the same package,” Wilson said. “Certainly, that was probably the biggest advancement toward making that small suitcase generator we all know and love.”

The high-efficiency gas generator also tackles noise and vibration issues crucial to OEM and RV consumers.

When Wilson started his career more than three decades ago, he was amazed at how quiet generators were then. He recalled gathering friends and neighbors in his garage, firing up a generator and seeing mouths agape at how quiet the generator was.

“By today’s standard, people consider those older models extremely noisy,” he said. “They are looking for zero noise emissions. They want the generator to be as quiet as batteries.”

However, he said sound volume— measured in decibels—was not the most crucial factor. The type of sound was a greater concern.

“The real thing that irritates people is the sound quality,” he said. “You can have a loud hum and go to sleep, but a rattle, a little tickling rattle, will keep you awake all night long. We spent a lot of money isolating and working on the quality of sound, not just the sound pressure.”

Sound particularly matters to RVers, Hodson said, because they are concerned about the noise generated while in the RV and next to neighbors at campsites.

Based on the work we have done in the last few months, I am confident it is feasible. The challenge is the package does not exist today.”

– Kelly Schmitz

“If they are parked by somebody else at a campsite, and you have this loud, clunky piece of equipment, you are not just keeping yourself awake,” she added.

Cummins’ engineers review and evaluate sound quality at the Fridley, Minnesota, acoustical test center. The test center is large enough to enclose a full semi-truck. Cummins purchased various RV models to evaluate sound and ensure generator sound quality meets customer preferences, Hodson said.

A semi-anechoic chamber stifles sound around the RV at the test center. Microphones are placed around the entire RV at different angles to capture and record sound. Accelerometers are positioned down the RV’s center aisle, on the bed and on tables to measure vibration and inside noise from the generator.

Engineers conduct industry-standard SAE and ISO tests to benchmark and monitor the generators’ performance, Schmitz said. The setup isolates precisely where noises originate.

“Then we can take it back to the generator and find out, if you are hearing a rattle, where is that rattle coming from,” Wilson said. “This will help you not only isolate the sound but isolate the location. Then you can go address that rattle, that buzz, whatever that frequency is you are hearing causing the irritation.”

The goal, Wilson said, is to provide a constant, low tone sound more appealing to consumers’ ears. The final test, however, involves people inside the RV. Wilson said a human experience assessment confirms other tests conducted in the acoustical test center.

“The machine may say it has nice, level tones, but if you listen, there may be a weird tone,” he said. “That is the final check. We spend a lot of time on our sound quality, and sound is very important to everybody.”

Recent Enhancements Another primary customer request is connectivity to enable generator mobile access. Cummins has met this request. RV OEMs are asking Cummins to create generators that connect to multiplex systems through RV-C. Consumers want generator mobile access.

“Microprocessor controls certainly have come a long way,” Wilson said. “You can monitor a lot more, and you can control a lot more.”

Ultimately, he said, OEMs want fixed-mount generators they use to become a mere RV component. As an example, the generator in a Tiffin model would be considered a Tiffin RV generator, rather than a Cummins product.

Portable generators also received connectivity upgrades, such as the wireless start/stop function on the Onan P4500I. Aftermarket Bluetooth devices are available with automatic start systems as well. The Bluetooth system integrates with mobile devices and enables consumers to monitor the coach’s temperature and battery. The system will start the generator, independent of the RV, to charge batteries, then automatically shut down when batteries reach a preset level.

Cummins manufactures RV generators at its plant in Fridley, Minnesota, near Minneapolis/St. Paul.

After Yang inspects the generator she will send it down the line to be covered, boxed and shipped.

Cummins’ Mobile Power team includes (L to R) Karl Wilson, sales director; Jennifer Hodson, sales and marketing director; and Kelly Schmitz, technology executive director.

Safety functions are among recent product advancements too, Wilson said. One of Onan 2800I’s significant features is an electronic circuit breaker. Wilson said the feature is significant because the circuit breaker can monitor and shut off the power before an RV circuit breaker fails.

Once the breaker is tripped, consumers can restart the generator, and the generator resets itself.

“I do not have to go out underneath a coach and flip a breaker back on,” Wilson said. “Certainly, it is a safety factor but also a convenience for the customer.”

Whatever the end-use case, Schmitz said the Mobile Power team is working to provide solutions.

“We really want to give customers the options that give them what they need and what they want,” he said. “That includes price points. That includes size complexity and affordability.”