Electric Axle Offers Fuel Savings for Long-Haul Operations
Mesilla Valley Transportation, PAM Transport, and Ryder conducted initial road testing on Hyliion's 6X4HE hybrid-electric axle. Photo: Hyliion
">A start-up company has launched production of an add-on hybrid axle system designed to save fuel in long-haul Class 8 trucks.
Hyliion says its 6X4HE hybrid-electric axle system technology can deliver fuel savings, lower emissions, instant telematics and a better driver experience.
The company, which initially launched designing a hybrid axle product for trailers, showcased the new tractor axle at last fall's American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition. At that point it was just coming off of initial testing on trucks run by Mesilla Valley Transportation, PAM Transport, and Ryder. Since then Hyliion has been working on fine-tuning the system, but it is already available for order.
“Hyliion is bringing hybrid technology to the Class 8 trucking market, but we're doing it in a very unique way,” explained CEO Thomas Healy in an interview. “You keep the existing diesel-engine truck that you own, and we add a hybrid electric assist to it to help reduce the amount of fuel you consume.”
When the truck goes downhill or applies the brake or Jake Brake, the system uses regenerative braking to help capture some of the wasted energy and stores it in a battery pack mounted between the frame rails behind the cab.
“When you go to climb a hill or accelerate, we can take that electric energy we have stored and apply it to our electric motor, which then applies torque and helps reduce the amount of fuel the vehicle uses,” Healy said.
Hyliion's 6X4HE system replaces a 6x2 truck's non-driven dead axle or is added to a 4x2 truck, turning either into a 6x4. Existing 6x4 tractors can be converted by removing one mechanically driven axle and replacing it with a Hyliion axle. The system includes a motorized axle, ...Read the rest of this story