Kenworth K270E.

Kenworth and Dana are to collaborate on electric powertrain development for medium-duty Kenworth battery electric vehicles. The announcement was made in conjunction with CES 2020 in Las Vegas.

The zero-emissions Kenworth K270E cabover on exhibit at CES was equipped with a Dana-designed e-Powertrain system that is fully integrated and upfitted to the Kenworth chassis. Configured as a direct drive system, the vehicle utilises a Spicer Electrified e-propulsion system, and a standard Dana drive axle and driveshaft. Dana also supplies an e-power system, which generates, stores, and manages the energy for the vehicle and consists of electrified auxiliary systems, an on-board charger, and two battery packs. Dana-developed software and controls enable the diagnostics and telemetry of the complete system.

Kenworth K270E.

The electric powertrain will be available with range options between 100 and 200 miles (160 to 320km). The state-of-the-art, high-energy density battery packs can be recharged in about an hour using the vehicle‘s DC fast-charging system, making both the Class 6 Kenworth K270E and Class 7 K370E cabovers ideal for local pickup and delivery, as well as short regional haul operations.

“This is an important next step in our evolution of an electric powertrain,” said Kevin Baney, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president. “Dana is an industry leader in electrified modules and systems supported by in-house vehicle integration expertise. Kenworth plans to produce up to 100 medium-duty cabover electric trucks in 2020.”

Level 4 Autonomous Kenworth T680.

Dana president of Commercial Vehicle Drive Technologies Mark Wallace said Kenworth‘s commitment to providing advanced vehicle technologies, combined with Dana‘s proficiency in delivering end-to-end turnkey electric systems, will result in high-efficiency solutions that greatly reduce the total cost of ownership for vehicle operators.

“As demand for clean, electric-powered vehicles continues to grow, we are pleased to collaborate with Kenworth by providing the design, integration, and upfit of the complete e-powertrain for the K270E electric truck,” he said.

At this year‘s event, Kenworth also brought along a Level 4 autonomous T680. This proof-of-concept truck was conceived and constructed at the Paccar Innovation Centre.