Dragonfly Energy has entered the trucking industry with its new Battle Born all-electric auxiliary power unit. The company said its lithium-ion battery system provides ample wattage to run auxiliary power on trucks, even when the engine is off.

In a press release, the company said the transition to lithium-based APU systems presents a significant opportunity for the trucking industry to potentially save billions of dollars on fuel costs and reduce harmful emissions during idle periods.

"As the trucking industry faces stricter regulations, we believe an all-electric APU is a crucial first step in reducing fuel consumption and emissions," said Wade Seaburg, chief revenue officer, Dragonfly Energy.

Seaburg said the company has secured pilot programs with fleets representing roughly 15% of the North American heavy-duty trucking market.

"We believe this is a significant opportunity for Dragonfly Energy to diversify and grow its revenue while providing a compelling return on investment to fleet operators."

Reliable, Efficient and Environmentally Friendly

Dragonfly Energy said it has deployed hundreds of thousands of similar APU systems in adjacent markets.

The new Battle Born all-electric APU was designed to be a more reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly way to power the hotel loads on sleeper trucks compared to traditional lead-acid batteries, the company said.

“Over the years, there have been many attempts to eliminate unnecessary engine idling by harnessing electric APUs,” said John Larkin, transportation industry veteran and analyst. “Recently, lithium-ion batteries are proving to dramatically improve upon the mixed results generated by previous attempts. The ability to address these problems today, rather than waiting for BEVs [battery-electric vehicles], can lead to immediate major operational savings for fleet operators.”

Dragonfly Energy said it has pilot programs under way with some of the industry’s top transportation companies, whose combined fleets include over 65,000 total trucks. It epects the Battle Born APU to help fleets improve their operating model by increasing uptime and driver retention, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving fuel efficiency and reducing idle time, a major source of emissions in the transportation sector.

The Battle Born all-electric APU allows drivers to operate HVAC, appliances, and other electronics while the truck is off, with zero harmful emissions and no loud engine idling. The unit also recharges while the truck is being driven.

With one-fifth of the weight compared to traditional lead-acid batteries in the same physical space, the Battle Born All-Electric APU provides fleets and owner-operators more payload capacity, according to the company.