Dana Inc. has a partnership with an unnamed North American commercial-vehicle manufacturer to supply complete e-Powertrain systems for a medium-duty vehicle program, starting in 2020. The new trucks will be outfitted with Dana's Spicer® Electrified™ powertrain technologies, fully integrated and" “upfitted" by Dana to the truck builder’s chassis.
According to U.S. Federal Highway Administration classifications, medium-duty trucks (Class 6) feature gross vehicle weights of 19,500-26,000 lbs. The new medium-duty trucks are expected to be in use by early 2021, Dana announced.
Dana develops and manufactures power-conveyance and energy-management systems for vehicles and machinery, including axles, driveshafts, and transmissions. The Dana e-Powertrain system consists of:
- A Spicer® Electrified e-Propulsion system, comprising a Dana TM4 motor and inverter;
- A Spicer® Electrified e-Power system consisting of battery packs, battery management system, on-board charger, power electronics cradle, and electrified auxiliary systems, to generate, store, and manage the energy for the vehicle; and
- Dana-developed software and controls to guide system diagnostics, telemetry, and thermal management.
The TM4 motors are a product of Nordresa Motors Inc., a developer and manufacturer of electric powertrains for commercial vehicles in which Dana purchased a majority stake in 2018, and then acquired outright in August of this year. The Quebec-based business offers two options for electric-powered trucks: the W Series, a walk-in van based on Ford’s E-450 chassis; and the T Series, for standard box trucks.
Separately, Dana reported a new, three-year development project with a second unnamed truck manufacturer to define a complete e-Powertrain system that will be designed, integrated, and upfitted to the customer's chassis by Dana.
This project will incorporate a Dana TM4® SUMO™ HP motor, a high-power unit developed for both hybrid and battery electric configurations.
"The recent acquisition of Nordresa … serves as an enabler for Dana to expand the development and integration of clean, electric powertrains to deliver higher efficiency and lower cost of ownership," stated Mark Wallace, president of Commercial Vehicle Drive Technologies for Dana. "These new vehicle programs leverage Dana's complete e-Powertrain products and capabilities, while demonstrating our ability to deliver end-to-end turnkey electric systems for our customers, which will, in turn, provide Dana profitable growth through electrified system sales."
