Right on schedule, Cummins has released another “innovation” piece to drown out the stink of reality. “The next step in engine evolution” is what they’re calling it, in a glossy write-up that reads more like an obituary for honesty than a product launch. It’s part sermon, part sales pitch, full of words like “efficiency”, “sustainability” and “legacy”.
They say the X10 is built on the proven success of the L9 and X12. The same L9 and X12 that helped land them a record $1.675 billion fine for emissions cheating. So yes, it’s built on a legacy – a legacy of deceit.
The PR Engine
The X10 piece purrs with confidence. “Smarter”, “cleaner”, “lighter”. Every line sounds like it was written by someone who’s never opened a bonnet. They even managed to make “up to 2 percent better fuel economy” sound like the second coming. That’s not green technology. That’s a rounding error wrapped in marketing.
Cummins loves this game. They wreck the air, pay the fine, and then shout about progress. The formula is simple: drop a few buzzwords, slap a sustainability tag on a diesel lump, and hope the press bites. It’s not innovation. It’s distraction by design.
The Legacy They Don’t Mention
For over forty years, Cummins has been “setting the standard for mid-bore durability”. True. Just not the standard they think. They’ve set the benchmark for pollution, deceit and settlements dressed as milestones. The L9 was a workhorse, the X12 was a liability, and the X10 is a PR campaign disguised as engineering.
Every claim of reliability is built on decades of regulatory manipulation. When your corporate history includes the largest environmental penalty in US history, a new product isn’t redemption. It’s a rerun.
Progress, According to Cummins
The X10 “keeps customers running efficiently”. Of course it does – running from accountability. The article crows about “automatic shutdown” to save fuel. Cute feature. Pity the company never thought to shut down the lies.
They say the X10 “prepares fleets for the challenges of tomorrow”. Maybe so, because tomorrow’s challenge will be justifying why they’re still pouring resources into diesel while pretending to lead the green transition.
The Real Powertrain
The only thing Cummins engineers better than engines is excuses. Every new announcement is less about torque and more about reputation management. They don’t want to fix the world’s problems, they want to look like they are.
So when you read their breathless prose about “efficiency”, remember what it really fuels: not trucks, but trust erosion. The X10 isn’t the next step in evolution. It’s the next layer of bullshit.
Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project