Vehicle manufacturer SEA Electric is set to launch its new power system with an optional hydrogen range extender (RE), which will be ideal for powering large commercial vehicles.
The company said its new solution, dubbed SEA-Drive 250 power-system, will be introduced at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo that will take place from 2 to 4 May at the Anaheim Convention Centre in California.
According to SEA Electric, the SEA-Drive 250 model and its options RE variant are ideal for vehicles with GVWR/GCWRs of up to 80,000lbs, in rigid or day-cab designs.
The company said it plans to connect the power system with a 45kW hydrogen fuel cell to increase potential range, with the architecture having far-reaching consequences in the industry.
Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric founder and CEO, said the SEA-Drive 250 RE represents a major advancement for SEA Electric in its efforts to electrify the world’s commercial transportation.
“The power-system is perfectly suited to the rigours of lighter duty refuse collection, with the platform already proven in other deployments in the space via pure-battery powered configurations,” Fairweather noted.
The CEO continued, “For SEA Electric, this new product combination offers us the opportunity to branch out into some fantastic new areas and applications, which can now benefit from our leadership in the industry, such as day-cab and drayage tractor applications.”
According to Fairweather, the SEA-Drive 250 RE will enable the company to offer a solution for 95 per cent of the market for the refuse industry using any chassis combination.
With performance that has never been seen before in this market area, the CEO pointed out that the combination of battery electric with the optional fuel cell extender will optimise weight and cost while meeting the full fleet duty-cycle requirements.
“One of the competitive advantages of the SEA-Drive power-system is that all ancillary functions are completely electrified, with all hydraulics systems involved in the compacting and operation of the refuse body completely managed by the integrated systems,” Fairweather stated.
SEA Electric further detailed that the SEA-Drive power-system now carries the new designation, joining previous SEA Electric products including the SEA-Drive 70, 100, 120, and 180 that have been used in the field for more than two million miles in a variety of truck, bus, and light commercial applications.
The SEA-Drive 250 will be powered by a 250kWh battery pack and have a maximum output of 670hp (500kW) and a peak torque of 4,579 lb-ft (6,200Nm), all of which are “industry-leading” features, the company revealed.
