Hyliion’s Strategic Pivot: From Electric Vehicles to Power Generation

Problem

Hyliion, a company founded over a decade ago with a focus on transitioning 18-wheel semi-trucks from diesel to electric, faced significant challenges in the EV market by 2020. The company’s leadership, including CEO Thomas Healy, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Carnegie Mellon, observed a downturn in the EV sector. This included increased bankruptcy rates among peers, difficulties in raising capital, slower adoption of electric vehicles by fleets, rising costs, and softening mandates. The uncertainty in the EV landscape prompted Hyliion to explore new opportunities.

Solution

In 2021, Hyliion was approached by GE Aerospace to consider entering the commercial power generation market by acquiring and developing the KARNO power generation technology. This technology, a linear heat generator that uses heat as a fuel source to produce electricity, offered a novel approach to on-site power generation. The acquisition was completed in 2022 for $37 million, and Hyliion decided to fully commit to this new direction.

The KARNO 200 kilowatt power module was developed using additive manufacturing (AM), a method that was already established at GE Aerospace. This technology was crucial for producing the complex heat exchangers that are integral to the KARNO system. Hyliion iterated on the design several times before launching the product to market.

Hyliion’s approach to manufacturing the KARNO modules involves using their Colibrium Additive M2 system, which has a 250 x 250 mm build plate. For larger power generation needs, Hyliion employs M Line and X Line machines, which have bigger build volumes. The company is also exploring the development of larger modules, but currently, users with significant power needs are serviced by multiple 200kW units connected together.

Results

Hyliion has successfully commercialized the KARNO power generation technology within a few years, despite having limited prior experience in additive manufacturing. The acquisition of KARNO included not just the intellectual property but also the team behind it, notably Josh Mook, who became Hyliion’s CTO. Mook assembled a team of top-tier engineers and designers specializing in additive manufacturing, which has been instrumental in bringing KARNO to market.

The KARNO power generation products operate on a principle similar to Stirling engines, with a heating and cooling cycle that occurs 20 times per second. This process drives a piston to generate electricity, and the cooling resets the cycle. Additive manufacturing has been pivotal in overcoming the traditional manufacturing challenges associated with this engine type.

"These machines are pretty universal in what they can print," Healy said. "One of the great things about additive is it doesn’t really care if it’s printing a block of metal or an extremely complex part. It’s just lasers going around that are melting layer by layer and building up whatever structure you want."

Hyliion’s KARNO technology is now being used in various applications, from data centers to shopping malls and even unmanned military ships, providing a scalable solution for on-site power generation.

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