Banks Power subjected a 2024 Ram HD equipped with a Cummins diesel engine to extreme cold testing, locking the truck in a freezing chamber to document how the powertrain handles sub-zero startups down to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
The test reveals what heavy-duty diesel owners already know. Cold starts present real challenges for compression-ignition engines. Diesel fuel thickens in extreme cold, glow plugs work harder to ignite the charge, and battery capacity drops significantly. The 2024 Ram HD's Cummins 6.7-liter turbo diesel must overcome all these obstacles simultaneously.
Ram and Cummins have engineered solutions into modern heavy-duty diesel trucks specifically for this scenario. The current generation Ram HD includes updated glow plug systems, integrated block heaters, and diesel fuel additives designed to prevent waxing in cold weather. The Cummins engine itself features improved combustion chamber design and electronic controls that adjust injection timing and duration based on coolant temperature.
Banks Power's torture test matters because cold-weather performance directly impacts truck reliability and resale value in northern markets. Buyers in Canada, Minnesota, Montana, and other cold-climate regions depend on trucks that start reliably when temperatures plummet. A diesel that fails to fire at minus 40 becomes a very expensive paperweight.
The test also highlights why truck manufacturers continue investing in diesel technology despite the industry's shift toward electrification. Diesel engines offer superior towing capacity, range, and cold-weather resilience compared to current EV trucks. A 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning faces serious performance degradation below zero, making diesels the practical choice for work trucks in harsh climates.
For the Ram HD specifically, the Cummins diesel remains the heavy-duty workhorse of the lineup. With 370