Dana says it has collaborated with Lonestar Specialty Vehicles to produce a battery-electric terminal tractor for display at Atlanta’s North American Commercial Vehicle Show this week. A Spicer Electrified e-Powertrain system was installed on an existing shuttle tractor as an extension of Lonestar SV’s refurbishment process, said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies.
It is a recent project of the Dana division’s production of electric powertrains that include batteries, motors, controllers, axles and other components to power trucks and buses. More than 16,000 Dana-powered electric vehicles are now in service, most of them buses in China, Wallace said.
Lonestar SV, founded in 2014 in Texarkana, Texas, specializes in the final stage assembly and refurbishment of commercial vehicles. Existing vehicles with diesel engines can be converted into all-electric trucks to extend their useful lives and gain operating efficiencies while reducing their carbon footprint, said Blake Yazel, general manager for Lonestar Specialty Vehicle Group.
The Dana powertrain includes the motor, inverter, power electronics cradle, and battery systems. The vehicle has a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 80,000 or 101,000 pounds, for single- or tandem-rear-axle configuration, respectively, and is offered in 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 configurations. The electrified system can be customized to meet individual range requirements.
The Lonestar SV T22 and S22 models allow for 22 hours of continuous operation with only two hours required for a full battery recharge. The T12 and S12 models allow for 12 hours of continuous operation and are equipped with DC fast-charging capability.
