As companies involved in diesel engine and truck components look ahead to the electrification of the global vehicle fleet many well -known suppliers are advanced in plans to pivot to a different future.
Global automatic transmission specialist, Allison, is one such company that is well advanced in creating componentry that is compatible with electric trucks in the future.
As part of that Allison has revealed that Hino in the USA has completed a program of vehicle integration, and has commenced testing and validation of Allison’s next generation eGen Power 100D fully electric axle in its Hino XL series heavy duty battery electric vehicles, and that it is progressing towards start of production.
“When evaluating the electric axles available in today’s competitive market, Hino selected the Allison eGen Power 100D due to its outstanding benefits including electromechanical sophistication, a next generation controls system and industry-leading packaging,” said Hino Trucks’ senior vice president of customer experience Glenn Ellis.
“Allison continues to be a true partner throughout the vehicle validation and development process. We appreciate their willingness to adapt and refine the e-Axle to meet our needs, and we’re thrilled to partner with Allison to bring Hino’s new, highly differentiated fully-electric heavy duty trucks to market,” Ellis said.
Allison and Hino said last week jointly hosted a group of customers at Allison’s Global Headquarters in Indianapolis, for a test drive of the eGen Power 100D-equipped Hino XL battery electric prime mover.
“The next generation of our eGen Power 100D are now being built at our Auburn Hills, MI electric axle development and manufacturing facility,” said Rohan Barua, Allison’s vice president, North America sales, global channel and aftermarket.
“Allison’s extensive investments and experience in electric hybrid technology allow us to be well positioned to commercialize a broad portfolio of fully electric propulsion solutions, including electric axles. We’re proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Hino as we evolve our eGen family of electric propulsion solutions to meet the unique needs of our OEM and fleet customers.”
Allison claims the fully integrated eGen Power 100D which uses two electric motors is one of the most powerful electric axle systems in the world, with each motor capable of generating 454 kW of continuous power, with peak combined power of 652 kW.
The e-Axle integrates a two-speed gearbox within the central housing, enabling the high torque required to get heavy loads moving, while also offering the benefit of superior efficiency at cruise speed according to Allison.
The eGen Power 100D supports a 10.4-tonne gross axle weight rating and includes a differential lock function.
The performance and efficiency advantages directly translate to wide-ranging duty-cycles and increased range capability, optimizing the economic value the e-Axles deliver to end users the company claims.
