SEA Electric is motoring towards the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show with a head of steam after signing two landmark deals to supply its proprietary SEA-Drive battery-electric power system to Mack Trucks and Hino.
Founded in Australia in 2012 and now headquartered in the United States, in
2020 SEA Electric partnered with Hino Trucks US for ‘Project Z’, Hino’s path towards zero-emissions for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks; and, in March 2021, launched two SEA-badged vehicles in Australia, the SEA 300 EV and the SEA 500 EV, which are built on Hino chassis and sold through a network of nationwide dealerships.
In the next step in its mission to eliminate emissions from the transport sector, the company has become a Tier 1 partner to Mack Trucks in the US for the supply of its power system.
The five-year agreement will focus on the next generation of Mack’s popular MD range, which will see deliveries of the fully electrified models to Mack dealers across North America.
Specifically, the Class 6 and 7 Mack MD6 and MD7 models will be equipped with the SEA-Drive 120 and 180 power systems.
On top of the Mack partnership, SEA Electric has also revealed a significant expansion of its existing business relationship with Hino Trucks.
The announcement paves the way for its SEA-Drive power-system to be fitted to Hino’s M and L Series.
“Hino Trucks’ products are renowned the world over for their dependability and reliability, and we are proud to be a part of the next chapter of that story,” Fairweather says.
For Hino Trucks, the announcement expands its range in a growing market.
Unveiled at Work Truck Week, held in Indianapolis March 7-10, Hino’s Class 5 M5e cab-over and Class 6 L6e conventional models will come equipped with battery capacities of 138kwH and 220kwH respectively.
Hino Trucks’ President Glenn Ellis says the “strategic collaboration” with SEA is part of its plan to provide powertrain options to meet the needs for customers and markets throughout the United States.
“Starting in 2024, Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) mandates are starting to kick off in California which are growing the demand for electric vehicles (EV), and many of our customers want to add EV’s to evaluate operational capabilities,” he notes.