What Is The Most Powerful Cummins Pickup Truck Engine And Where Can You Get It?

Cummins, the American corporation known for its diesel engines, has been around for since 1919. Over the past century, while Cummins has diversified into sectors like power generation and filtration, the company's primary focus continues to be its diesel engine business. Even within the diesel engine space, Cummins operates a diverse portfolio of products that spans categories like defense, marine applications, mining, oil and gas, and rail.

Most automobile enthusiasts, however, associate Cummins with the diesel engines that they make for "on-highway" vehicles like buses, motorhomes, and trucks. Cummins is also known for its powerful and popular pickup truck engines. As of 2025, Cummins' engine options for pickup trucks spans just two models; the 5.0L V8 turbo diesel engine intended for light to medium-duty pickup trucks, and the more powerful Cummins 6.7L turbo diesel unit. 

Recently updated for 2025, the Cummins 6.7L turbo diesel engine is primarily designed for heavy-duty pickup trucks. It is the most popular (and powerful) engine option on Ram trucks. The 2025 version of this engine makes 430 hp of power and generates 1,075 lb-ft of torque.

Until 2024, Cummins offered a standard output variant of the same engine that made 370 hp of power and delivered 850 lb-ft of torque. The high-output variant also made slightly lower 420 hp of power (compared to 430 hp on the 2025 model).

While it is widely believed that Cummins' pickup truck engines have been exclusively used on Ram trucks, these engines have previously appeared on Nissan and Ford pickup trucks as well. In fact, Nissan, until 2019, used the aforementioned Cummins 5.0L V8 turbo diesel engine on its Titan XD pickup trucks.

Perhaps the most significant change for the 2025 model year Ram trucks is the availability of the 6.7L Cummins engine for the Ram 2500 models. Until 2024, while these vehicles did get the 6.7L engine, it was only the less powerful Standard Output variant with 370 hp of power. The High Output variants with 420 hp power were reserved for the pricier Ram 3500 models.

Those interested in getting a Ram 2500 with the most powerful 430 hp Cummins engine should note that only some variants of the 2025 Ram 2500 get this engine option. 

These include the Laramie, Limited Longhorn, and Limited trims. Even on these trims, only the Mega Cab 6'4" variants are offered the Cummins 6.7L engine and the 4x4 drivetrain. The rest of the Ram 2500 trims; "Rebel," "Tradesman," and "Power Wagon" all get by with the less powerful 6.4L HEMI V8 engine that makes 405HP of power and 429 lb-ft of torque.

Moving on to the Ram 3500 models, Stellantis offers the same engine options on these models as well. Those intending to get the 6.7L Cummins engine on these vehicles will need to opt for the "Limited," "Limited Longhorn," and "Laramie" trims with the Mega Cab 6'4" box option checked. The "Big Horn" and "Tradesman" trims of the Ram 3500 only get the less powerful 6.4L HEMI engine.

Getting hold of a brand new (or used) Ram truck is one of the easiest ways to get hold of the Cummins 6.7L diesel engine. If, for some reason, that is not the path you wish to choose, you can always buy an engine "off the shelf." Engines that you can buy and then fit into a vehicle (pickup truck in this instance) are colloquially referred to as crate engines (simply because they are shipped to the consumer in a crate).

In the case of the Cummins 6.7L V8, the company offers several variants of these engines that can be purchased directly from Mopar, Stellantis' car parts and service division. Cummins refers to these off-the-shelf engines as remanufactured engines. The company currently lists several Cummins 6.7L engine variants on its website, with the oldest models dating back to 2007 and the latest ones dating back to 2018.

Buying off-the-shelf engines can be an expensive proposition. For example, Mopar's current listing for a remanufactured 2013-2018 6.7L engine has a sale price of $21,411.

Buying an off-the-shelf engine is only the first step in what is arguably a long-drawn process. Unless you happen to be an expert with engine installations yourselves, you will need to get help from a diesel performance shop or engine swap specialist to complete your engine swap job. Beyond making sure that the new engine meets local emissions regulations, it's equally important to confirm that all related components are compatible with your chosen powerplant.