Hyliion introduces fuel-agnostic Hypertruck Karno

Hyliion Holdings Corp. showed off its Hypertruck Karno at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in early May in Anaheim, Calif. The semitruck employs an electric range extender powertrain that the company says can be powered by a variety of fuels, including hydrogen or natural gas.

“While our focus remains on the 2023 production launch of the Hypertruck ERX, a renewable natural gas electric range -extender powertrain, we are also developing the Hypertruck Karno as part of our transition to offer fleets fuel flexibility,” Thomas Healy, Hyliion founder and CEO, said in a news release.

The Hyliion Hypertruck ERX has an electric powertrain that is recharged by an onboard natural gas generator. In January, Austin, Texas-based Hyliion announced it planned to deliver 10 Hypertruck ERX Class 8 semitrucks in the first quarter of 2024 to Danish transportation company DSV. If the initial trial period is successful, the company has in place an option to buy 10 more trucks to be delivered in 2024, the company reported.

In late 2022, a Hyliion ERX delivered the New York Stock Exchange’s Christmas tree in downtown New York City.

The company’s Karno semitruck features technology acquired from Boston-based GE Additive in August 2022. The acquisition was valued at $37 million, with GE getting $15 million in cash and $22 million in Hyliion stock.

The Karno generator uses heat to drive a sealed linear generator to produce electricity. The heat is produced by reacting fuels through flameless oxidation or by leveraging other heat sources including renewables. The power system will be capable of operating on with more than 20 fuels, including hydrogen, natural gas, propane, ammonia and conventional fuels.

About Hyliion

Hyliion was founded in 2015 in Pittsburgh, where the company’s founder earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. The company relocated to Texas in 2018. The company merged with Leawood, Kan.-based Tortoise Acquisition Corp’s and had its initial public stock offering in 2020.

The company also has developed technology for Class 8 trucks that uses energy from rolling downhill to power an electric motor that helps increase fuel efficiency. That tech was incorporated into the Starship truck created by Newington, Conn.-based AirFlow Truck Co. in a partnership with Shell Rotella.

Hyliion says its mission is to reduce the carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions of Class 8 commercial trucks by providing electrified powertrain solutions. The company designs, develops and sells electrified powertrain solutions designed to be installed on most major Class 8 commercial trucks.

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