CCJ Daily Dispatch, Aug. 20: Idealease offers hybrid-diesel tests of Hyliion-powered International LT

Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020:

Hyliion teams with Idealease to offer short-term hybrid-diesel powertrains for testing
Electric powertrain provider Hyliion has partnered with Idealease to offer hybrid-diesel-powered Class 8 trucks available for short-term lease as a means to test the technology. As part of a national tour taking place through the end of the year, Idealease customers can operate an International LT Series chassis equipped with Hyliion’s hybrid-diesel powertrain, which the company says reduces fuel consumption, cuts emissions and reduces operating costs.

The system being tested is a retro-fit powertrain that Hyliion says can be installed on “most major Class 8” vehicles.

The International LT Series test units available for leased are also equipped with the Dana S23-175 drive axle and the SPL driveline, as well as a Hyliion APU. Dana and Hyliion partnered earlier this year to develop electric powertrains for Class 8 trucks.

Former Volvo exec launches electric truck company
Patrick Collignon, former chief operating officer for Volvo Trucks North and South America, has launched Trova Commercial Vehicles, which will focus on the engineering, design and production of fully electric commercial vehicles.

TrovaCV will offer its industrial model and manufacturing capability to other truck OEMs while developing its own fully electric truck.

“This is an exciting time as the electric commercial vehicle market is being reshaped,” said Collignon, TrovaCV founder and CEO. “While technology and innovation have made it possible to convert fuel-powered commercial vehicles into electric vehicles, we haven’t seen a production model capable of producing the required volume of fully electric commercial vehicles to meet the demand.”