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, $11.2-million (C$15-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. (Earlier post.)

Dana’s custom Spicer e-System is optimized for the Canadian market with a hauling capacity of 140,000 pounds, 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.

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 (700 km) between refueling. 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 refueling 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 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and airborne pollutants in Alberta’s freight transportation sector.

Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) is committing more than C$7.3 million to the AZETEC project. This investment comes from ERA’s BEST Challenge—a $100 million funding opportunity for biotechnology, electricity, and sustainable transportation technology solutions. ERA funds projects using the proceeds from carbon pricing paid by large final emitters to reduce GHGs and build the resilience of new and incumbent industries in Alberta.