Go autonomous if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and improve operator safety

Our three roundtable experts all emphasise that sustainable powertrain solutions are very much a case of “horses for courses.” There is no clear winner yet. Different outcomes are going to be needed for different parts of the world, or for different applications. Diesel has “spoiled us” they say. In the future, choosing the best sustainable powertrain is going to be a far more complex decision.

For Cummins, sustainability is all about “the most efficient transfer of energy into power,” a goal that the US engine giant has spent its entire history working towards. Volvo wants to help “build a world we all want to live in,” and Trimble likes to think about “transforming the way the world works.” It all sounds very aspirational but, with sustainable technology taking centre stage, it’s happening now.

Cummins sees a sustainable future that is “fuel agnostic,” because different circumstances will require different solutions to achieve the best outcomes. Trimble agrees, warning the construction sector “not to put all of its eggs in one basket.” For Volvo, the future is electric. The company is committed to making 35% of its fleet electric by 2030. Innovation, collaboration, and efficiency are where it’s at.