Cummins, a leading manufacturer of diesel engines, has announced a significant milestone: the production of its three-millionth diesel engine designed specifically for heavy-duty Ram pickup trucks.
This journey began in the late 1980s when Chrysler launched diesel-powered pickup trucks, starting with the 1989 Dodge Ram that featured a Cummins B-series engine. The 5.9-liter inline-six engine at that time generated 160 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Fast forward to today, the most powerful engine available for Ram trucks is a robust 6.7-liter inline-six engine that delivers an impressive 400 horsepower and a staggering 1,000 pound-feet of torque, which is also the engine type for Cummins’ three-millionth milestone.
The engine was assembled last week at the Columbus Mid-Range Engine Plant (CMEP) in Indiana, where a dedicated workforce of 900 employees can produce up to 168,000 engines each year. Some long-term employees, including those who were hired before Cummins partnered with Chrysler, signed the cover of this milestone engine, which proudly displays a special “3 Millionth Engine” plaque. This engine is poised to power a 2019 Ram 3500 Longhorn Crew Cab Dually 4×4, with the eventual buyer to be revealed after the truck’s completion. A celebratory event will mark the delivery of this special truck at the dealership.
Melina Kennedy, Executive Director of Cummins Pickup Business, expressed gratitude towards Ram for their lasting partnership, stating, “We are grateful to Ram for choosing Cummins-powered engines for the Ram for 30 years, and we look forward to a long partnership. From our 5.9-liter, 400 foot-pound beginnings to the 6.7-liter, 1,000 foot-pound engines available in today’s Ram pickups, Cummins and Ram lead the way in innovation, power, and durability.”
Though Cummins was the first engine manufacturer to equip a factory pickup truck with over 1,000 pound-feet of torque, its title was recently challenged by the Ford F-450 Super Duty which features a new diesel V8 engine capable of producing 475 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque, enabling it to tow an impressive 37,000 pounds. Nevertheless, the Cummins-powered Ram remains a formidable option, renowned for its exceptional torque capacity, making it more than capable of handling heavy loads..
