HOW EFFICIENCY IS IMPROVED BY INTEGRATED HEAT MANAGEMENT
UNDER THE SKIN
JESSE CROSSE
New four-in-one integrated electric d rive axle can raise an EV’s energy efficiency to as much as 9 6%.
A FEW YEARS ago, the companies that produce many of the major components for car makers, such as transmissions, recognised that a new, potentially lucrative market was about to emerge. Although not in need of a traditional multi-speed transmission or driveline, manufacturers would still need some sort of transmission to sit between the motor and the wheels.
That would be fine for the big brands making premium cars with the budget to co-develop electric motor-generators and control systems with specialist suppliers, but what about the small and medium car makers? The answer, tier-one suppliers reasoned, was an integrated electric axle that smaller manufacturers could buy off the shelf and incorporate into their EV design without any fuss and far less cost.