New electric truck gets six-speed auto

European OEM EMOSS uses Allison auto transmission for torque multiplication to haul heavier loads, traverse steep inclines and extend battery life

EMOSS Mobile Systems has developed an electric prime mover equipped with Allison auto transmission that has a range exceeding 480 kilometres.

The EMOSS Electric Vehicle with Extender Range (E.V.E.R.) semi-truck uses a 120 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a liquefied petroleum gas electricity generator to recharge the battery and achieve maximum range. It is further equipped with an Allison 4500 fully automatic transmission and rated for a gross combination weight of up to 50 tonnes.

"For us, the Allison gearbox is the only combination that gets us the right performance," said Martijn Noordam, chief technology officer at EMOSS. "Customers who have driven the Allison-equipped EMOSS trucks are 100 per cent happy with them. They never thought a start-stop duty-cycle on a 30 per cent grade was realistic, yet the truck has executed [that] perfectly."

Calibrated to use six forward gears when fully-laden, the Allison transmission is critical for hauling heavier payloads and navigating challenging topographies, in countries such as Switzerland and Austria, where there are plenty of mountains and steep slopes.

"Allison remains committed to the evolution and optimisation of the drive train and all forms of commercial vehicle propulsion," said Randy Kirk, senior vice president of product engineering at Allison. "The Allison automatic provides a proven, immediate and well-integrated solution that enables electrification across a broad range of commercial applications."

Kirk said the Allison automatic transmission is key to the driveline as the transmission provides torque multiplication to reduce demand on the electric motor and the battery pack.

“It also enables the electric motor to operate within the optimal efficiency range for a larger portion of the drive cycle, reducing energy consumption, extending the vehicle's range and facilitating the use of less-expensive, lighter and smaller components,” he said.

EMOSS unveiled the Allison-equipped E.V.E.R. truck, based on a DAF chassis, in November at the eCarTec exhibition in Munich and plans to commence testing with pilot customers later this year. In addition to the E.V.E.R. truck, EMOSS is currently developing Allison transmission-equipped electric trucks for use in construction, delivery and refuse applications. These applications include dump trucks, medium-duty straight trucks, refuse collection vehicles and additional semi-truck configurations.

With over a decade of experience in electric mobility, and its full electric powertrain development and integration expertise, EMOSS is a partner for bus and truck manufacturers. Under its own brand, EMOSS is an OEM for electric trucks, buses and vans, as well as auxiliary/battery systems.

New electric truck gets six-speed auto

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