Drivetrain developer Meritor Inc. will launch production for its 14Xe™ ePowertrain all-electric drive system this month in Asheville, N.C. The manufacturer also announced the first customer for the new technology, which it describes as “the only integrated electric powertrain in production for Class 8 trucks in North America.”
The 14Xe ePowertrain is based on Meritor’s established 14X axle housing for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, which maintains existing axle-mounting hardware to simplify OEM integration. The new product was designed for efficiency, performance, weight savings and enhanced space utilization, Meritor added.
The modular design allows interchangeability of major components, including electric motors, transmissions, gearing, brakes, wheel ends, and housings, to adopt to customer specifications. It can be adapted to fit various powertrains according to vehicle application and duty-cycles for Class 5 through Class 8 commercial vehicles.
"Our 14Xe ePowertrain has been thoroughly tested hauling loads and logging real-world miles in various conditions and multiple applications, allowing us to offer the industry a proven, all-electric, zero emissions solution," stated Chris Villavarayan, Meritor CEO and president.
Meritor then reported it will supply the 14Xe integrated ePowertrain to Daimler Trucks North America for its new, all-electric Saf-T-Liner® C2 Jouley® school bus, being manufactured by Thomas Built Buses (TBB).
The five-year supply agreement is Meritor's first electric-vehicle production award for a DTNA brand and is expected to begin in January 2024.
"Being selected by Daimler Trucks North America to supply zero-emissions electric propulsion for its next generation school buses is especially gratifying," stated John Nelligan, SVP and president, Truck, Americas at Meritor. "This is an exciting opportunity to expand our relationship with DTNA."
