Fleet Maintenance - 22

VEHICLES

How fleets can
benefit from
electric axles
Electric axles are beginning to make
their way to medium and heavy duty
vehicles, giving fleets an opportunity
to reduce maintenance requirements,
fuel consumption, and emissions.
By Gregg Wartgow

[ AXLES ]

anufacturers of axles and other drivetrain components are making a bigger
push into the electric vehicle (EV) market,
and we're not just talking about passenger vehicles anymore. From medium
duty trucks all the way through Class 8,
electrification can help fleets lower both
emissions and operating costs - without adding
complexity for drivers or technicians.
"Dana has been working on electrification for quite a while now," says Harry Trost,
senior manager of product planning for Dana's
Commercial Vehicle Group, a leading drivetrain
and propulsion systems provider. The company
put its first electric axle into production a little
over a year ago in China, resulting from a joint
venture with Dongfeng Dana Axle Co., Ltd. That
factory is capable of producing 800,000 electric
axles per year.

China is a great example of
how a market for electrification
can quickly evolve. According to
Trost, the Chinese market started
with the easiest way to integrate
an electric propulsion system
into a vehicle: a central-mount,
direct-drive solution where a
motor is connected to a tradition» When a truck reaches an uphill climb, the electric axle
al driveshaft and axle. Roughly
in Hyliion's 6X4HE hybrid system kicks in and helps
95 percent of the Chinese market
relieve some of the load placed on the engine.
continues to rely on that solution.
Photo courtesy of Hyliion
However, the technology is evolving toward a more efficient, lightÜ Motors, power inverters, and controls
er-weight and lower-cost electric axle that is part
of an integrated system.
components
Ü Thermal management components
Dana's recent acquisition of controlling interest
in TM4 Inc. gives Dana the capability of producing
In addition to TM4, Dana has acquired SME
Group, a manufacturer of lower-voltage motors
all core components of a fully integrated electric
for accessory drive applications. Dana has also
drive system:
Ü Electrified drivetrain components (includacquired Oerlikon Drive Systems, which gives Dana
ing electric axles, which Dana refers to as
additional competency in precision helical gearing
e-Axles)
and planetary gearing, as well as transmissions.
"Many of these e-Axles will also incorporate
multi-speed transmission approaches," Trost says.
Speaking of transmissions, some major news
broke in April when it was announced that
Allison Transmission was acquiring the Electric
Vehicle Systems division of AxleTech. Allison
» Dana's new eS6200r
Transmission is a leading manufacturer of autoe-Axle can be installed to
matic transmissions for medium and heavy duty
provide the efficiency of a
commercial vehicles, as well as hybrid propul6x2 with 6x4 tractive effort.
sion systems for city buses. AxleTech's CEO, Bill
Photo courtesy of Dana

22 Fleet Maintenance | June 2019

Fleet Maintenance

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