Linamar Corp. has entered the evaluation phase for the first fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) delivery vans in its technology contract with the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), an Atlanta-based organization that develops, promotes and implements advanced transportation technologies.
CTE is managing the Next Generation Fuel Cell Delivery Van Deployment Project for the California Air Resources Board (CARB), awarded to accelerate the adoption of clean freight transportation technologies. Linamar has partnered with ROUSH CleanTech and Ballard Power Systems to provide complete turn-key FCEV package delivery vans to UPS for an in-revenue service demonstration in California.
The CARB project includes developing, validating and deploying four fuel cell hybrid electric delivery vans. This is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy and improve public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
“The strength of CTE’s project lies in its team member experience with advanced vehicle manufacturing, utilization of proven, off-the-shelf components, participation of UPS as the fleet operator and deployment partner, and the propulsion system’s commercialization potential,” says Dan Raudebaugh, executive director of CTE.
Over the past decade, Linamar has made a substantial investment in automotive and commercial vehicle eAxle design, development and testing at its Livonia, Mich., McLaren Engineering operations, as well as its McLaren Engineering centers in Germany and China. The second-generation eAxle for Class 4-6 commercial vehicles is a key result of this investment, building upon the success of their earlier DOE program for a Class 6 HEV delivery vehicle. The new Gen 2.0 eAxle utilizes a robust beam axle design with low NVH helical gears. Its single-speed, single-motor design delivers 200 kW and 11,400 Nm to the rear axle.
ROUSH CleanTech is supplying the overall vehicle and system design, integration, build and commissioning for the FCEVs. FCEVs are electric vehicles that use a fuel cell to power their onboard electric motor, generating electricity from the air and compressed hydrogen. Ballard Power Systems is providing fuel cell power technology designed to integrate with the eAxle and battery systems in the Ford F-59 chassis to create the hydrogen-powered FCEV with a 150-mile range based on targeted driving cycles.
The four FCEV delivery vans will be delivered in April.
Photo: Dan Raudebaugh