Meritor this month made several company announcements, including deals with AutoCar Trucks, Lion Electric and Volta Trucks.
Meritor announced production of its 14Xe all-electric, fully integrated, commercial electric powertrain for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles will begin mid-2021.
Meritor received the first Class 8 truck production contract for electric powertrains in the industry in early 2020. Part of Meritor’s Blue Horizon advanced technology portfolio, the 14Xe ePowertrain is the only electric powertrain for Class 8 trucks ready for production, bringing the industry a zero emission, best-in-class, premium solution, the company says.
“The 14Xe ePowertrain has been tested in various conditions around the world with several OEMs, vehicle types and applications, so we can offer the industry a proven electric powertrain technology,” says T.J. Reed, Meritor vice president of global electrification. “In January 2020, we announced our agreement with PACCAR to be its non-exclusive supplier of electric powertrains. One year later, we are nearing production and preparing to put vehicles on the road.”
The 14Xe electric powertrain, which will be produced at Meritor’s facilities in Asheville and Forest City, N.C., is designed to provide efficiency, performance, weight savings and space utilization.
Meritor says key advantages of the 14Xe ePowertrain over remote mount systems include:
- Tighter turning radius due to a shorter wheelbase
- Increased room between frame rails for additional battery capacity, which extends the range of the vehicle
- Lighter weight (up to 800 lb.)
Meritor awarded Autocar Trucks electric powertrains business
Meritor announced it has entered into a five-year supply agreement with Autocar, LLC Trucks, an American specialty truck manufacturer, to supply its refuse vehicles with Blue Horizon 14Xe integrated ePowertrains. Production is scheduled to begin in 2022.
“We’re proud to have Autocar as a customer for several of our product offerings. As Meritor has developed its next-generation technologies, we have been able to align our electric powertrain products to their needs,” says Pedro Garcia, director of global EV powertrain, Meritor. “We are excited about the opportunity to take our partnership into a new direction and get these new technologies on the road.”
Autocar President James Johnston says, “Meritor has been a longtime partner to Autocar, providing us with proven and trusted technologies for our vehicles and we look forward to expanding our partnership so that we can bring zero-emission solutions to market.”
Meritor strikes deals with Lion Electric, Volta
Meritor has been awarded a three-year supply agreement with Lion Electric, a Canadian manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles. Meritor will supply Lion Electric Class 8 tractors with its Blue Horizon 14Xe integrated ePowertrain. Production is scheduled for mid-2021.
“Lion Electric is driving the future of sustainable mobility in the commercial vehicle space, and Meritor is proud to provide Lion Electric with electric powertrain technologies that meet the needs of its next-generation tractors,” Reed says. “This award is a testament to the commitment we’ve made to investing in advanced technologies, so we can continue being a trusted partner and supplier of electrification technologies for the industry.”
The company also announced it has entered into a three-year supply agreement with Volta Trucks, a London-based electric commercial vehicle startup. Meritor will supply Volta Trucks with its Blue Horizon 14Xe integrated ePowertrain.
“Meritor is excited to work with Volta Trucks to bring electric commercial vehicles to the European market. Our expertise and investment in advanced technologies has made it possible to offer customers, like Volta Trucks, solutions to meet their electrification needs,” said Ken Hogan, Meritor senior vice president and president of Truck, Europe and Asia Pacific.
“Meritor and Volta Trucks share a common vision for the future of commercial vehicle mobility — one that is safe and sustainable,” says Volta Trucks CEO Rob Fowler. “As Volta Trucks seeks to strengthen its position as a leading manufacturer of electric commercial vehicles, we look to partners like Meritor to bring us technologies to achieve our goals.”
Meritor’s 14Xe all-electric, fully integrated, commercial electric powertrain for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles will be equipped on the Volta Zero, which Volta Trucks introduced in September 2020. This purpose-built full-electric 16-ton commercial vehicle, designed specifically for inner-city parcel and freight distribution, is anticipated to go into production in 2022 in the UK.
