Cummins builds software-enabled powertrains on AUTOSAR and container technology

Cummins says its electronics and software work has grown from simple fueling and timing control into software-enabled capabilities that improve fuel efficiency, uptime, drivability, performance, serviceability and driver assistance in commercial vehicle and off-highway applications. The company describes software as a core enabler of powertrain performance, driver assistance and customer uptime. As customer expectations shift toward vehicles that can be updated, optimized and supported throughout their lifecycle, Cummins is advancing software as central to how its powertrains perform.

Cummins says widespread vehicle connectivity and cloud computing are accelerating demand for both onboard and offboard software at a rapid pace. Fleets increasingly want vehicles that can be optimized, supported remotely, updated more efficiently and improved over time, which the company says requires new approaches to software development, validation and release. Cummins frames software not as an end in itself but as a way to unlock more value from the powertrain, with software-enabled controls helping the engine, aftertreatment, transmission, braking and connected systems work together more intelligently. That system-level coordination is intended to support better fuel efficiency, smoother drivability, improved performance, enhanced driver assistance features and more effective diagnostics.

As an example, Cummins points to software-enabled powertrain features that use vehicle, route and operating data to help optimize how a truck manages speed, grade, braking and power delivery. In practice, the company says this can support outcomes fleets care about every day: improved fuel efficiency, more consistent drivability, reduced wear on components and better confidence for drivers operating in demanding conditions.

To support this evolution, Cummins is building on industry-standard software architecture approaches, including AUTOSAR, to improve modularity, scalability, cybersecurity, functional safety and reuse across product lines. These foundations help Cummins separate software capabilities from specific hardware implementations where appropriate, making it easier to evolve powertrain software over time and integrate with increasingly complex OEM vehicle architectures. For customers, Cummins says the value is not the architecture itself but what it enables: faster integration, more consistent software quality, stronger lifecycle support and a foundation for future powertrain features.

Commercial vehicle OEMs use different telematics, edge computing and cloud environments, so Cummins is using container technology to package selected software capabilities consistently so they run more reliably across different platforms — reducing integration complexity and shortening deployment time for OEMs, and giving fleets more consistent access to connected services, diagnostics and future software-enabled improvements. Containerization is especially useful for digital, connectivity and analytics applications that can be updated separately from safety-critical or emissions-critical control software, protecting validated core controls while selected capabilities improve over time. Cummins adds that software and data support faster diagnostics and more informed maintenance decisions across authorized service channels, helping customers keep vehicles working and reduce unnecessary downtime. The next-generation architecture is meant to let Cummins deliver secure, service-ready software, scale it across product lines, deploy new features rapidly and support a growing ecosystem of digital services.