From Diesel to Electric Navigating the Shift in Heavy-Duty Transportation w/ Phil Stephenson

AVL's Reimagine Mobility Podcast

In this episode of AVL's Reimagined Mobility Podcast, Phil Stephenson from PACCAR delves into the electrification and alternative propulsion systems for heavy-duty trucks, emphasizing the industry's shift towards reducing CO2 emissions. Stephenson brings his extensive experience in diesel engines, thermal management, and battery systems into a discussion that covers the challenges and strategies of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, the potential of hydrogen fuel cells, and the role of policy and industry collaboration in overcoming infrastructure and technological hurdles. This conversation provides deep insights into the future of sustainable heavy-duty transport and PACCAR's approach to navigating these changes.

Dr. Philip Stephenson is General Manager, PACCAR Technical Center. He has held this position since 2012.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Stephenson was Vice President, Exide Technologies. Before joining PACCAR, he worked as Director of Product Development and Engineering with A123 Systems where he led engineering teams in the US and Germany. Dr. Stephenson was also Chief Engineer for product development and validation at automotive supplier Behr and was instrumental in the expansion of Behr’s test facilities to support their North American automotive business.

Early in his career, Dr. Stephenson worked as a computational fluid dynamics simulation engineer at Mercedes Benz Research in Stuttgart, Germany, an engineering manager at Fluent Inc. (now Ansys) and an executive at CD-adapco (now Siemens)

At the PACCAR Technical Center, Dr. Stephenson leads teams responsible for product validation of Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks and for development, calibration and testing of PACCAR diesel and alternative fuel powertrains for North America.

Dr. Stephenson earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University.

PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of premium light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines, provides financial services, information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

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