Dana Incorporated 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 year-round between Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta, Canada. The trucks are part of a three-year, US$11.2 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‘s custom Spicer e-System is optimised for the Canadian market with a hauling capacity of 140,000 pounds (about 63,500kgs), the highest-rated electrified drivetrain system for linehaul applications. The system‘s compact design reduces weight and allows for more hydrogen fuel storage, while high-speed helical gearing provides greater overall efficiency. 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,” said Mark Wallace, president of 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 (700km) between refuelling. 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. 

The Alberta Zero-Emissions Truck Electrification Collaboration (AZETEC) project will help ensure the continuation of a timely, efficient and cost-effective supply chain of goods, transported by 64-ton B-train tractor-trailers carrying very large freight loads over long distances.

AZETEC will test hydrogen as a zero-emissions alternative fuel to diesel for freight transportation, along with the refuelling 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.