Dana Incorporated announced today it will provide its Spicer Electrified e-Propulsion solution with integrated TM4 SUMO HP motor-inverter system to power Class 8 tractor-trailer units that will move freight between Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
The trucks are part of a three-year, $11.2 million (CAN$15 million) Alberta Zero-Emissions Truck Electrification Collaboration (AZETEC) project, which involves the design and manufacture of heavy-duty, extended-range, hydrogen fuel cell electric hybrid trucks.
Dana says its custom Spicer e-System is optimized for the Canadian market with a hauling capacity of 140,000 lb. The system’s compact design reduces weight and allows for more hydrogen fuel storage, while high-speed helical gearing provides greater overall efficiency, the company says. Dana’s TM4 SUMO HP motor-inverter system was specifically designed for high-power applications and multi-speed gearboxes.
“Dana is pleased to have been selected as a key partner for this enterprising hydrogen fuel project. It marks another step in the innovation continuum as the industry transitions to zero-emission transportation,” says Mark Wallace, president, Dana Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies. “The consortium partners share a common vision in advancing clean technologies and we welcome the opportunity to provide Spicer electrodynamic solutions as part of these collective efforts.”
The trucks, developed for Alberta’s unique operating environment, will be 64-tonne (gross vehicle weight) B-train tractor-trailers capable of traveling up to 430 miles (700 km) between refueling. They will be operated by Alberta trucking companies Trimac Transportation and Bison Transport. At the conclusion of the project, the trucks will have carried approximately 12 million tonne-miles of freight, Dana says.
AZETEC will test hydrogen as a zero-emissions alternative fuel to diesel for freight transportation, along with the refueling infrastructure and other systems that would be required for Alberta to implement this new fuel solution. The three-year project also will investigate the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and airborne pollutants in Alberta’s freight transportation sector.
Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) is committing more than $5.5 million (CAN$7.3 million) to the AZETEC project. This investment comes from ERA’s BEST Challenge —a $100 million funding opportunity for biotechnology, electricity and sustainable transportation technology solutions.
