Cummins is better known for its diesel truck engines, but the Fortune 500 company makes its money from also selling generators and alternative energy power sources.
So maybe, it shouldn’t come as a surprise then to learn today that Cummins has acquired Brammo, Inc. and its electric drivetrain business.
Before we should go further, we should point out that Polaris still owns Brammo’s motorcycle business, which it bought separately back in 2015, and that this purchase by Cummins applies only to the parts of Brammo that Polaris didn’t buy, including Brammo’s race bike, the Empulse RR.
Cummins acquisition of Brammo will help the American brand build out its electric power portfolio, adding to its key holdings in the diesel and natural gas space.
As transportation and power systems transition away from petroleum and natural gas though, electric will be huge part of Cummins core business in the coming years, so having the knowledge of the Brammo team in its ranks is a valuable step in the company future-proofing itself.
“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 Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc.
“By adding the expertise of Brammo and its employees to Cummins, we are taking a step forward in our electrification business and differentiating ourselves from our competition. As always, when markets are ready, Cummins will bring our customers the right power solution at the right time to power their success.”
For Brammo, this marks the end of a long journey that started out with the goal to build an electric motorcycle brand from nothing, and ended up with the company using its core competency of electric drivetrains to pivot into new spaces, while finding its founders an exit along the way.
What this means for Polaris though, and its pursuit of electric vehicles remains to be seen. Last we heard, Polaris was a key client of Brammo’s, and this deal with Cummins will surely change that dynamic, if not outright end it.
Source: Cummins via PowerSports Business
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