Driving force: How hydrogen fuel cells are powering electric trucks
Amid the buzz surrounding Class 8 heavy-duty trucks, let’s remember that an electrified Class 8 solution is still in development. The two most common types of electric trucks being produced are all-battery electric and hydrogen-electric. Battery-powered electric truck examples include the Fuso eCanter, a Class 4 truck with a range of up to 100 miles,
Splitting the difference: Hybrid solutions for long-haul trucks
All-electric trucks are exciting, but the reality is that in the heavy-duty world, range-extended hybrids are a more practical stepping stone into electrification. Hyliion recently introduced the 6X4HE, a electric drivetrain system for Class 8 diesel trucks. The Hyliion 6X4HE can be installed on new or retrofitted onto existing Class 8 trucks, and works without
Dive into electric truck details as you would with any equipment
Electrification! The buzz of that word is quickly drowning out the reality of the technology. It’s easy to talk about it in terms of generalities, but it’s important to understand that the excitement around electrification is because it has real-world, money-saving applications that will impact your fleet in the next two to three years. Let’s
Advice for fleet managers when considering electric trucks
We asked four representatives from OEMs what advice they would give to fleet managers who are considering electric trucks. Here’s what they had to say.
Ride the lightning: Cummins unveils its electric Class 7 concept truck
There’s a moment when you’re standing under a gray curtain of clouds and wonder if you actually felt the first rain drop or just imagined it. That was the moment when the crowd gathered in the courtyard of the Cummins Technical Center, the power generation company’s incubator for innovation. Julie Furber, executive director of Cummins’
The growing demand for upfitted electric drive systems
Electrification solutions for light- and medium-duty vehicles are continuing to grow in popularity. As a result, XL Hybrids is reporting that a rising number of commercial and government fleets, universities and national parks have been adopting its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System. New municipalities deploying the XL3 system include the city of Long Beach, Calif.,
Meritor announces electric solutions platform for commercial vehicles
Meritor announced that it is developing a platform of electric drive axles and suspensions, as well as supporting systems, for the commercial vehicle market. “Essentially, we’re focusing on integrating an electric motor into the differential carrier,” said Jay Craig, Meritor’s chief executive officer and president. “As we look to future emissions regulations and our customers’
How to maintain good electrical connections in your trucks
When it comes to tractor-trailer electrical connections, there is no such thing as “plug and play.” In other words, all electrical connections need to be secure and properly maintained. “Testing in the proper sequence is critically important to not only perform the correct test, but also in the correct sequence and repair as you go,”
Cummins reveals fully electric Class 7 truck, provides update on diesel engines
During an event at its technical center in Columbus, Ind., Cummins Inc. unveiled a fully electric Class 7 demonstration Urban Hauler Tractor, dubbed the Aeos (a reference to one of the four winged horses driving Greek mythology’s sun god across the sky). The truck includes a battery pack offering with a charge time of one
The reality of electric commercial vehicle use
I recently came across two articles that I found staggering. The first asserted that France wants to quit selling gasoline and diesel fuel by 2040 (Britain made a similar announcement a few weeks later). The second detailed Volvo’s announcement that it will equip every car it sells with an electric motor starting in 2019. Since California
