GOING GLOBAL
ELECTRIC KENWORTHS UNVEILED In the USA, PowerTorque’s US Correspondent, Steve Sturgess, was on hand to learn about Paccar’s zero emission plans for the future and to see a selection of electric Kenworths unveiled.
K
enworth in the US recently staged a show’n’tell of its electric vehicle lineup. Appropriately, it was in California’s Silicon Valley where the Paccar Innovation Center is located, close to advanced research centres of all kinds and academia to be able to share advanced developments and test them for the appropriateness for medium and heavy truck innovation. On hand for the short, urban drives were the class 6 K270E, the class 8 T680E and one of the prototype fuel-cell T680s currently under development with Toyota.
THE TRUCKS The truck that held the most interest for me was the fuel-cell electric (FCEV). It is powered by hydrogen which reacts with oxygen from the air in the cell and its main emission is pure water. The involvement of Toyota is from the fact that the FCEV uses two fuel cells from the Toyota Mirai passenger car. A car which is available in California, where public hydrogen fuel stations are scattered around making the fuel reasonably available and the car reasonably practical. In the T680 FC these fuel cells generate electric power which drive a mid-mount four-speed transmission with the rest of the drivetrain including a conventional driveshaft and tandem drive axle. Depending on application and topography, the range between hydrogen refills is around 350 miles (560km). However, the time it takes to fill the tanks, located in a
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cupboard behind the cab, is comparable with a diesel truck. The K270E class 6 and K370E class 7 are medium-duty cabovers that are very European in character. The electric versions have a centre mount E-motor and conventional driveshaft and single axle. The batteries for the all-battery drive system are mounted outside of the frame rails and are available in 141 and 282 kWh packages which give the trucks 100 miles (160km) or 200 mile (320km) range, depending on application. However, it is most likely these trucks will be used in last-mile distribution or on, for instance, beverage applications where routes are thoroughly understood. Recharging is by braking regeneration on the road and by slow AC charging which takes up to 10 hours. Fast charging by DC can be completed in a little over and hour. The two mediums are available for order, and delivery times are, in the order of, three months. However, according to Hank Johnson, Kenworth General Sales Manager, at the EV presentation at the Innovation Centre, getting the electric infrastructure in place can take up to a year. The T680E is also available to order and is a full class 8 day-cab or rigid truck with a range of around 150 miles (240km). Its intended role is as a container hauler. It is also battery-only powered with a 396 kWh pack and an additional 2,000pound (907kg) allowance for the heavier powertrain/batteries so it has a gross vehicle weight rating of 82,000 pounds (37.2 tonnes). With fast charging, it can be
recharged in around three hours. The T680E has a different chassis layout that uses Meritor’s 14Xe electric drive axle, a 14X base axle with a motor and gears on the nose of each differential. Thus there is no mechanical connection to the electronic controller and the drive is all electric until it reaches the single or tandem axle. Uniquely, Paccar is offering charging solutions through PaccarParts. Additional consulting services can be utilised to realise some of the many zero-emissions incentives and to help in the charging solution most appropriate to the operation looking to go electric.
ON THE ROAD As mentioned, I was keen to drive the Fuel Cell EV so I jumped at this unit first. Once settled behind the wheel, you fire it up by turning the conventional looking key in its regular position, switch it on and then go to the start position briefly. The truck goes through its diagnostics checks and then gives a dash green light to show it is ready to go. The dash on this truck, incidentally, has a dedicated display for the fuel cell bits and pieces. Then as with other Paccar automatics, you simply select drive on the steering column stalk, release the brakes and squeeze down on the accelerator. And that brought a big surprise as this admittedly prototype vehicle was aggravatingly noisy, not the experience I was expecting from an electric drive truck. In the lowest of the four gears there was an
