[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
Hyliion Holdings Corp., a provider of electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 semi-trucks, announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a new fuel-agnostic generator, the Karno, from GE Additive, a unit of GE.
The $37 million transaction is expected to close by the end of the third quarter. GE will receive $15 million in cash and about $22 million in Hyliion stock.
Hyliion will acquire the generator technology and integrate the Cincinnati-based engineering team that created the Karno system into Hyliion.
The technology is expected to achieve a 20% efficiency improvement over today’s conventional generators — by 3D printing of thermal components and innovative fuel-to-electricity conversion — and could prove more efficient than most available fuel cells, according to the Austin, Texas-based company.
The Karno power system will be capable of operating on more than 20 different fuels, including hydrogen, natural gas, propane, ammonia and conventional fuel.
Hyliion founder and CEO Thomas Healy told Transport Topics he considered Karno a disruptive technology. “Karno brings forward an unparalleled efficiency level and offers fuel flexibility. We believe this can be transformative for the industry while also achieving significant emissions improvements.”
The technology uses heat to drive a sealed linear generator to produce electricity. The heat is produced by reacting fuels through flameless oxidation or other heat sources, including when using renewables, Hyliion noted.
Initial testing indicates the Karno generator is expected to comply with all current and foreseeable emissions standards from the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency, even when utilizing conventional fuels, according to Hyliion.
ANNOUNCED TODAY: Hyliion acquires revolutionary hydrogen and fuel agnostic generator technology from GE
Read more here: https://t.co/2uIPQhAPrG pic.twitter.com/mJ9c9c7qdm
— Hyliion (@hyliion) August 25, 2022
In late 2023, Hyliion plans to first release its Hypertruck ERX (extended range) Class 8 powertrain. On the Hypertruck ERX, a tank of renewable natural gas fuels a Cummins Inc. natural gas engine as a generator to charge the batteries that power an e-motor that drives the rear axles and provides regenerative braking. A range of 1,000 miles is expected, and there is the opportunity to run 75 miles on battery power alone.
In the years following, Hyliion plans to release the Hypertruck Karno, its fuel-agnostic variant, as phase two in the company’s journey to a hydrogen-based future.
Healy said Hyliion is still going through the commercialization process with the generator. “We can say it’s a sealed system designed with [product] life in mind,” he said. “There is only one moving part per generator which assists in reducing maintenance as well. Lastly, there is no oil or fluids that would need maintenance.”
The Karno generator emerged out of GE’s long-running R&D investments in metal additive manufacturing across multiple industries and in areas such as generator thermal and performance design.
Want more news? Listen to today’s daily briefing below or go here for more info:
