BAE working with Indiana company on transit project

Also shares expertise with the Binghamton community                          

ENDICOTT — The BAE Systems location in Endicott is collaborating with an Indiana company on the integration and certification of a hybrid engine and drivetrain for the transit market. Besides that work and other projects the facility is focused on, an engineer with the Endicott location tells CNYBJ that BAE Systems also shares its expertise with organizations in the Binghamton area. Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of United Kingdom–based BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company.

Project work

BAE Systems and Columbus, Indiana–based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) say they’ll collaborate on the integration and certification of a B hybrid-compatible diesel engine and hybrid electric drivetrain for the transit market, targeted for launch in 2027. The hybrid electric product will continue to provide transit agencies with a “proven and cost-effective technology that reduces fuel use and emissions,” per an April 26 announcement from BAE. In this effort, BAE Systems will supply its electric-drive hardware to interface with the engine and form a full hybrid electric drivetrain, the firm said, as well as provide engineering support and system-integration expertise. “Hybrid electric systems will remain an important technology for the bus market for years to come,” Rob Dykema, director of North American transit accounts for power and propulsion solutions at BAE Systems, said in the announcement. “BAE Systems and Cummins have enjoyed many years of successful collaboration delivering this proven capability to the market, and this is another step forward as we sustain a range of clean, efficient solutions in transit.” BAE Systems and Cummins have worked together to develop hybrid electric products for buses since 1994. This newly expanded collaboration “underscores a shared commitment” to offering more emission-reducing options in transit, BAE said. Hybrid electric buses facilitate workforce development for training on high-voltage systems and do not require investment in extensive charging infrastructure. In addition, hybrid buses with BAE Systems’ electric-drive systems allow for increased zero-emission capable solutions. This includes proven engine start and stop and geofencing technology, allowing a hybrid bus to automatically switch to full electric-bus mode when entering designated green zones, the company said. BAE Systems says it has more than 25 years of experience developing and integrating electric power and propulsion systems for buses, boats, and heavy-duty vehicles. The company has more than 16,000 propulsion systems in service on transit buses worldwide, including hybrid electric, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell applications. Its electric-propulsion technology is developed and serviced at its facilities in Endicott and in the United Kingdom.

Community involvement

Besides its project work for customers, BAE Systems is also no stranger to community involvement in the greater Binghamton area. Matt Boecke, chief engineer for power systems for aircraft electrification at BAE Systems, says he’s “pretty heavily” involved in activities at Binghamton University regarding the region’s recent designation as a national tech hub for energy storage. “Helping with capstone projects at Binghamton University,” he says. “Developing … curriculum, so if you look at the trends in the world, and Binghamton being at the center of it in energy storage and power systems … working on setting up curriculums.” Boecke, who spoke with CNYBJ in a May 9 phone interview, has worked for BAE Systems for about 20 years. Besides Binghamton University, he’s also provided assistance on similar projects at SUNY Broome Community College to help “develop a pipeline” that would help feed into the local job market and the business initiatives at BAE Systems and the clean and green initiatives happening globally. “We take that [back] even further into high schools and middle schools,” Boecke says. “We bring high-school kids through [and] show them what we’re doing.” He also helped set up the battery lab for high-school students at Chenango Forks High School, located north of Binghamton. When asked if he’s seeing interest from students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) field, Boecke says, “We are. We do see a fair amount of interest that ties into it.”