Sponsored by Eaton.
Electrical autos are reworking the transportation trade, providing a cleaner, extra environment friendly, and extra sustainable approach to transfer folks and items. Nonetheless, not all EVs are created equal, and totally different functions require totally different powertrain options. For industrial autos, reminiscent of buses and HD vehicles, efficiency, reliability, and value are vital components that decide the success of electrification. That’s why Eaton, a worldwide chief in energy administration applied sciences, has developed a variety of revolutionary EV transmissions which might be designed to fulfill the particular wants of electrical industrial autos. Eaton’s new HD 4-speed EV transmission is a purpose-built answer that delivers superior efficiency, effectivity, and integration flexibility for heavy-duty functions.
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A typical false impression is that EVs don’t want transmissions, since electrical motors can present instantaneous torque and function over a large pace vary. Nonetheless, this isn’t the case for a lot of electrical industrial autos, which should cope with heavy masses, steep hills, and freeway speeds. A single-speed or direct-drive system both requires a really massive and costly motor to supply sufficient energy and torque to the wheels or limits the efficiency and vary of the automobile with a fairly sized motor. A multi-speed transmission, alternatively, can increase the working vary of the motor, cut back its dimension and value, and enhance the effectivity and efficiency of the automobile. A multi-speed transmission additionally allows improved regenerative braking efficiency, recovering extra power from the automobile’s movement and lowering put on and tear on the muse brakes.
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Whereas transmissions are useful for EVs, they don’t want as many gear ratios as standard autos with inside combustion engines (ICEs). It is because electrical motors have a a lot sooner and smoother torque response than ICEs and might present steady peak torque over a a lot wider pace vary. Which means fewer gears are required to cowl the identical working vary, and that the automobile can spend extra time within the optimum gear for effectivity and efficiency. For instance, a typical diesel truck would possibly want a 10-speed transmission to deal with totally different highway situations, whereas an electrical truck can obtain the identical efficiency with a 4-speed transmission. Eaton has leveraged its experience in gear design and shifting expertise to develop EV transmissions that provide the optimum variety of gears for various functions, starting from 2-speed to 6-speed.
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There are three major kinds of EV powertrain architectures that can be utilized for industrial autos: central drive, e-axle, and direct drive. Every of those architectures has its personal execs and cons, relying on the appliance, efficiency necessities, packaging constraints and value components. Eaton’s EV transmissions are at the moment centered on central drive architectures, which include a chassis-mounted motor and transmission linked to the axle by a driveshaft. This structure affords a number of benefits, reminiscent of low complexity, confirmed reliability, ease of integration, flexibility of motor choice, and glorious battery packaging area. Eaton’s EV transmissions will also be tailored to the e-axle structure, which integrates the motor and gearbox into the inflexible axle, providing the very best battery packaging area availability. The direct drive structure, which eliminates the transmission and connects the motor on to the wheels, is just not advisable for heavy-duty functions, because it requires a big and costly motor and limits the efficiency and vary of the automobile.
Eaton’s HD 4-speed EV transmission is a state-of-the-art product that’s designed for heavy-duty functions, reminiscent of beverage, vacationer bus, yard tractor, drayage, metropolis dump truck, municipal and logistics vehicles. It has a most torque capability of 2600 Nm and a most enter pace of 5000 rpm, making it appropriate for autos with a gross mixture weight of as much as 43 tons. It additionally options an all-aluminum enclosure, helical gearing, a transmission-mounted management module and an built-in electrical actuation system, leading to a light-weight, high-efficiency and low-noise transmission. Eaton’s proprietary shift management logic ensures easy and seamless gear modifications, whereas the rear PTO choice allows auxiliary energy for equipment. The HD 4-speed EV transmission additionally affords simple integration with a number of motor choices, because of the SAE #2 motor adapter. The HD 4-speed EV transmission is at the moment within the B-sample stage, with the beginning of manufacturing deliberate inside 2024.