Drivetrain options · 4 of 4 · Edison Motors
Edison Motors diesel-electric series hybrids
Edison Motors, of Golden, British Columbia, builds diesel-electric series hybrids: electric axles drive the wheels, an LFP battery buffers energy, and a diesel runs only as a generator. It is the closest concept to a converted coach, at the earliest stage of the four.
- System
- Edison Motors
- Type
- Series hybrid
- Keeps C12 + MH 4000?
- No
- Battery (supplier)
- 60–120 kWh LFP (Edison; cells not public)
- High voltage
- 600 V (pickup kit)
- Sold for retrofit?
- Kit in development; no coach kit
- Coach fit
- Concept fit, not available
Tested against a 2002 Country Coach Magna: 40 ft, tag axle, Cat C12 (about 425–505 hp, up to about 1,550 lb-ft) and an Allison MH 4000.
In plain terms
What Edison Motors offers, and why it matters for a coach
A series hybrid removes the mechanical link between the diesel and the wheels. The engine becomes a generator, the battery handles peaks and regenerative braking, and the electric axles do all of the driving. Because the generator is always there, range does not depend on finding a charger, and the truck can still plug in when one is available.
Edison has shown this on its “Topsy” log hauler, which uses a Cat C9 as the generator, and has published targets for a Class 8 hybrid and for a pickup conversion kit. It stresses serviceability: mostly off-the-shelf parts and a bill of materials with supplier details so owners can source replacements.
The limits are maturity and availability. Edison’s own offering memorandum says the Class 8 hybrid remains in prototype and field validation, with production timing that “cannot presently be predicted”, and that it is “not legally certain” it can sell the pickup kit as a retrofit. There is no motorhome kit, and the pickup kit is too small for a 40-ft pusher.
01 · How it works
How it works
A diesel that only makes electricity: the same idea as our coach
Edison Motors (Golden, British Columbia) builds diesel-electric series hybrids. Electric axles drive the wheels, an LFP battery buffers energy, and a diesel engine runs only as a generator. The trucks can plug in to charge, and the generator is always there as a range backstop.
- Class 8 hybrid (BDE) target: 1,080 kW (1,450 hp), 120 kWh LFP, 1–3 drive axles.
- “Topsy” prototype: Cat C9 generator under the hood.
- Pickup kit target: 120 kW continuous / 320 kW peak, 60–65 kWh LFP, 600 V, twin oil-cooled e-axles, CCS1 DC fast charging, Perkins 3.6 L generator listed.
Sources: Edison offering memorandum (Aug 4, 2026) · Pickup kit · Topsy · Driving.ca
02 · Advantages & disadvantages
Advantages & disadvantages
Closest concept, earliest stage
Advantages
- Series hybrid: no range anxiety, regenerative braking, high torque, quiet running when the genset is off.
- Mostly off-the-shelf parts, and customers get a bill of materials with supplier details to source replacements.
- Maker claim about 30% fuel savings for the pickup kit; larger savings in stop-and-go work.
Disadvantages
- Early-stage company. Its own memorandum says the Class 8 hybrid stays in prototype and field validation, with production timing that “cannot presently be predicted.”
- Pickup kit: Edison says it is “not legally certain” it can sell a retrofit and may offer a rolling chassis instead; the reservation page estimates 2027 delivery.
- No coach kit, and independent fuel or reliability data Not public.
Sources: Offering memorandum · Pickup reservation · InsideEVs · Driving.ca
03 · Feasibility for a Magna-type coach
Feasibility for a Magna-type coach
The pickup kit is too small for a 40-ft pusher; semi-scale components sold separately Not public. Best treated as a design reference and a consulting partner.
The practical takeaway: Edison is best treated as a design reference and a possible engineering partner. The architecture it uses, a shared LFP pack, electric axles and a small genset, is the one described on currentrv.com for a converted coach.
04 · Maintenance
Maintenance
- Edison stresses serviceability: mostly off-the-shelf components and a parts list with suppliers for each truck.
- Still two engines’ worth of systems: a diesel genset (oil, filters, emissions) plus the HV battery, inverters and oil-cooled e-axles.
- Installer network: about 182 partner shops signed up (closed to new partners in 2024) for future kit installation and servicing. Recalls: none found; not yet in series production.
- Battery thermal management and HV training needed, as with any 600 V system.
Sources: Offering memorandum (engineering services, installer network) · Pickup kit specs
05 · Installation in a 40-ft pusher
Installation in a 40-ft pusher
What a conversion would involve in a 40-ft, tag-axle diesel pusher such as a 2002 Country Coach Magna (Cat C12, Allison MH 4000). Figures are only given where a source publishes them.
- Space: the C12 and MH 4000 come out; a smaller genset goes in the engine bay; pack in basement bays; e-axle replaces the drive axle (tag axle stays).
- Weight: Not public for Edison parts. Pack about 20 lb/kWh Estimate, so a 120 kWh pack ≈ 2,400 lb.
- Electrical: 600 V system (pickup kit), CCS1 charging, DC-DC to the 12 V side.
- Labor: Not public. Edison’s semis are built new; coach conversion would be custom engineering.
06 · 12 V house power & coach batteries
12 V house power & coach batteries
A shared pack plus a genset is the natural fit for a coach
12/24 V from high voltage
Edison’s Topsy walkthrough video describes DC-DC converters in the power distribution unit feeding the 12 V system; ratings Not public. Catalog converters like Eaton’s 3–5 kW 12 V units fit a 600 V system.
Traction pack as house bank?
This is the design described on this page: one LFP pack for driving and living, recharged by genset, solar and shore power. Pros: the separate house generator goes away and camping is silent. Cons: house use cuts driving reserve, the HV pack must stay awake to supply loads, and a small isolated 12 V battery is still required. LFP handles daily cycling well.
AC power & inverters
Edison’s memorandum lists prototypes with electric power-take-off configurations; AC export ratings Not public. For a coach, Estimate a 6–10 kW 120/240 V split-phase inverter, plus a shore-power charger into the pack.
Sources: Offering memorandum (prototype configurations) · Topsy walkthrough video · Eaton HV DC/DC
07 · Cost of ownership
Cost of ownership
a customer prototype truck priced at $750,000 before rebates ($450,000 after), per Edison’s memorandum. Pickup kit “ideally” ⅓–½ the price of a new pickup; $250 non-refundable reservations. Kit price Not public.
08 · Battery & supplier
Battery & supplier
LFP packs integrated by Edison (120 kWh Class 8 target; 60–65 kWh pickup). Cell and pack supplier Not public.
09 · How it compares
How it compares
Edison Motors in the side-by-side table. The full table, including the parallel PTO add-on, is on the overview.
| System | Type | Keeps C12 + MH 4000? | Battery (supplier) | HV | 12/24 V & AC power | Sold for retrofit? | Coach fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edison Motors | Series hybrid | No | 60–120 kWh LFP (Edison; cells not public) | 600 V (pickup kit) | DC-DC + export; ratings not public | Kit in development; no coach kit | Concept fit, not available |
10 · Sources & credits
Sources & credits
Every figure on this page links back to one of these. Labels:
- Maker claim what the manufacturer says
- Independent government test, public record or trade press
- Estimate typical engineering range, not a measured figure
- Not public no published figure found
- Edison offering memorandum (Aug 4, 2026) s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com
- Pickup kit edisonmotors.ca
- Topsy edisonmotors.ca
- Driving.ca driving.ca
- Wikimedia Commons: Edison Motors 'Topsy' Log Hauling.jpg commons.wikimedia.org
- Pickup reservation shop.edisonmotors.ca
- InsideEVs insideevs.com
- Topsy walkthrough video youtube.com
- Eaton HV DC/DC eaton.com
Diagrams are original and simplified, based on the manufacturers’ published specifications. Photo credits and licenses appear under each image. Research compiled October 23, 2026; specifications, prices and availability change.