TROY—The transportation supplier Meritor Inc. (NYSE: MTOR) announced several pieces of new business this week. Among the announcements:
- Meritor will supply its new Blue Horizon 14Xe e-powertrains to Norway-based Hexagon Purus for a near-term development program with the intention of taking the program to production. Meritor’s ePowertrain will be used in two different hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle applications in North America. These applications include a large, Class 8 drayage truck and yard hauler. This announcement follows Hexagon Purus and Meritor partnering to integrate the 14Xe ePowertrain into Hexagon Purus’ Class 6, Class 7 trucks and Class 8 (6×4) vehicles. The integrated electric powertrains will provide the propulsion within the Hexagon Purus trucks, resulting in zero emissions transport. More at hexagonpurus.com.
- The Blue Horizon 14Xe e-powertrain was also selected for the next generation all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school bus from High Point, N.C.-based Thomas Built Buses. This is Meritor’s first electric vehicle production award with a Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) brand. The intended agreement will span five years and is expected to start in January 2024. More at https://thomasbuiltbuses.com.
- Meritor also announced that it has entered into a supply agreement with Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co. Ltd. (BFDA), Daimler Truck’s joint venture in China. With this deal, Meritor will produce a custom version of long haul tandem and single rear-drive axles for Daimler’s heavy-duty on-highway tractors, which will be produced in Beijing by BFDA.
The 14Xe e-powertrain is a fully integrated, all-electric drive system and is the only integrated electric powertrain in production for Class 8 trucks in North America. To promote the launch, Meritor is debuting an all new video production titled “The Road Ahead” which can be viewed at meritor.com/14Xe and on its social media channels.
Meritor also announced it would collaborate with BAE Systems to deliver electrification for the industrial and defense markets. As part of this strategic collaboration, BAE Systems will leverage its expertise in systems integration and power electronics to incorporate its power management system with Meritor’s e-powertrain for a comprehensive and compact solution.