There are strong, telling signs that the Detroit automaker is working quietly on big changes for the small-block V-8, even while voicing ambitious goals for an all-electric future.

Cummins will supply medium-duty engines, predominantly diesels, for Daimler trucks and buses worldwide. Daimler, meanwhile, is coming out with the eActros, a new, battery-electric heavy-duty truck.

President Biden emphasizes the electrified auto industry will be centered in the U.S. and will protect and create American workers’ jobs as he pushes automakers to expand their EV fleets.

“This is a team sport,” the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s Julia Rege says of bringing electric vehicles into the mainstream.

The U.S. market for EVs is one-third the size of that in China and Europe, says Sue Helper, a senior economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisers. “The President believes that must change,” she says.

Pajarito Powder says its proprietary hydrogen fuel-cell catalyst technology reduces reliance on costly platinum, slashing the price of a fuel cell up to 20%.

The government initiative involves paying up to 80% of additional electrified-vehicle investment costs compared to diesel vehicles.

“We don’t want to disconnect with the middle classes,” Carlos Tavares says. “If we want to stay affordable while building a new electric technology that’s 40% more expensive, then we have to work harder on the cost reduction.”

Bruce Belzowski, director of Automotive Futures, says tough emissions regulations are pushing China and Europe into the lead in the development of BEVs.