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The Cummins name for diesel engines is legendary. Cummins has made powerful diesel engines since 1924, but today the only trucks that you don’t need a CDL to drive with a Cummins are Ram pickup trucks. About 75% of all Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty trucks are sold with a Cummins turbo diesel. Ram Cummins diesel trucks come in 2500 and 2500 heavy-duty versions, and the 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs. But most people opt for the 2022 Ram 2500 HD for its mix of heavy-duty abilities and stellar interior. For more than 30 years the Cummins name has gone hand-in-work glove with Ram trucks.

The Dodge Cummins relationship started in 1989

This 1992 Dodge Ram Cummins is equipped with the 5.9-liter Cummins turbo diesel.
1992 Dodge Ram Cummins diesel | Bring a Trailer

In the 1980s Ford and Chevy both offered diesel engines in their consumer pickup trucks. Dodge at the time was pushing an anemic slant-six engine and a 5.9-liter V8. And getting slaughtered in the market. So, in 1989 Dodge partnered with Cummins and the company started offering a six-cylinder turbo diesel from Cummins. The original 5.9-liter turbo-diesel wasn’t just powerful, with 400 lb.-ft. of torque, it was groundbreaking because it was the first time a turbo had shown up on a consumer diesel truck.

What Cummins engines are available in Ram trucks today?

For 2023 there are two Cummins diesel options in Ram trucks, standard and high output.
2022 Ram Heavy Duty Cummins 6.7-liter I-6 badge | Ram

The 6.7 came along in 2007 and has been continuously updated. It comes in two flavors: standard and high output. The standard output 6.7 has 370 horsepower and 850 lb.-ft. of torque. The high output version has 420 horsepower and a stupendous 1,075 lb.-ft. of torque. The high-output engine is only available in the Ram 3500 with a special Aisin transmission.

But these are heavy engines, weighing nearly 1,110 pounds.

How much is a Cummins in a Ram truck?

Three Ram heavy duty trucks on a mountain road. All but the Power Wagon can be ordered with a Cummins engine.
The Ram HD line of trucks | Ram

The 2022 Ram 2500 Hd starts at $42,775 and the 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel is a $9,595 option. The Ram 3500 starts at $44,520 and the standard output engine is a $9,595 option. The 6.7 Cummins specs on the high output version are whopping: it’s a $12,395 option and that includes the six-speed Aisin HD transmission.

The Tradesman is the base model of the 2500 and 3500. You can order the Cummins diesel in the Big Horn, Laramie, and Limited 2500 trims, but not in the Power Wagon. In the 3500 either Cummins is offered across the range. Of course, any truck you order with a Cummins option will have monstrous capabilities. For 2023, the HD Rams will get a mild facelift.

Is the EcoDiesel a Cummins?

The EcoDiesel is not a Cummins in the Ram 1500.
2022 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel | Stellantis

The 2.0-liter turbo diesel you can order in the Ram 1500 is not a Cummins. The third generation EcoDiesel V6 makes 260 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft. of torque and is not available on the HD trucks. It was developed by VM Motori to be an advanced diesel that is 50-state compliant. But it’s not cheap. The EcoDiesel option costs $4,995 over the standard gasoline V6, or an additional $2,200 over the Hemi V8.

Nissan offered a Cummins for a few years in the Titan XD

Nissan knocked on Cummins’s door in the early 2010s and in 2015 it launched a full-size Titan XD pickup with a 5.0-liter V8 Cummins turbo diesel. That engine option lasted until 2020 in the Titan XD. It’s a rare truck now and will probably have a cult following because of the Cummins connection.

Related

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.