Dana to supply electric drives for Lion Electric buses and trucks

Dana Inc. has confirmed a long-term strategic supply relationship with OEM partner Lion Electric Co. to support the company’s lineup of electric buses and medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Dana will supply electric drive systems, including electric motors, inverters and controllers, as well as axles and driveshafts, for all Lion Electric vehicle platforms.

Dana has continued to position itself at the forefront of product development for both conventional and e-mobility technologies, developing products to meet the demands of specific market segments, including urban transport.

“The bus and medium-duty truck segments are among the fastest growing for electrified products and we have developed our portfolio to enable a seamless integration for our customers’ vehicles,” said Ryan Laskey, senior vice president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, in announcing the strategic relationship. “We are excited to support Lion Electric as they deliver on their mission to help electrify urban transportation for buses and medium- and heavy-duty trucks.”

Dana is supplying Lion with a range of technologies and systems for its LionA, LionC, LionD, LionM, Lion6 and Lion8 (shown) platforms. Photo: Lion Electric Co.

The agreement with Dana comes as the Canadian electric urban vehicle manufacturer moves to expand its electric vehicle production in the U.S. with the acquisition of a facility in Joliet, Ill. The production facility has an annual capacity of up to 20,000 vehicles per year; units are expected to start coming off the production line in the latter part of 2022.

“We are pleased with our strategic relationship with Dana in order to deliver the highest quality medium- and heavy-duty all-electric trucks and buses available today. By working together, Lion will be able to continue meeting the increasing demand in the marketplace for zero-emission transportation solutions, especially as we prepare to manufacture vehicles at our upcoming U.S. facility in Illinois in the second half of this year,” said Yannick Poulin, chief operating officer at Lion Electric.

Dana suppliers a range of technologies and systems for Lion Electric’s LionA, LionC, LionD, LionM, Lion6 and Lion8 platforms, including:

• the Dana TM4 SUMO family of electric motors supporting light-, medium- and heavy-duty applications;
• Dana TM4 medium- and heavy-duty high-voltage inverters;
• medium- and high-voltage bi-directional charger inverters that function as both a battery charger and inverter;
• the fully programmable OpenECU M5 series of vehicles controllers for use as the main vehicle management unit; and
• a range of single reduction and tandem drive axles and driveshafts for direct-drive configurations.

Lion Electric vehicles incorporating Dana technologies were displayed at the recent Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, Calif.