DGAP-News

Schaeffler AG: New drive for electric mobility: The 4in1 electric axle from Schaeffler

DGAP-News: Schaeffler AG / Key word(s): Product Launch Schaeffler AG: New drive for electric mobility: The 4in1 electric axle from Schaeffler 13.06.2022 / 10:10 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. New drive for electric mobility: The 4in1 electric axle from Schaeffler   - Increased comfort and range due to innovative thermal management

- Increased efficiency through interaction of electric motor, transmission, power electronics, and thermal management in one complete system

- Increased number of variants due to new electric beam axles for pick-up trucks

- Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies: “Electric axles are a key element of Schaeffler’s electric mobility strategy.”

Bühl | June 13, 2022 | Schaeffler is focusing on electric mobility. The company is demonstrating this by simultaneously launching several new electric axle drives (electric axles). “Electric axles are a key element of our electric mobility strategy,” says Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler AG. Until now, up to three drive components were assembled in one compact unit. With the so-called 4in1 electric axle, Schaeffler is now going one step further by integrating the thermal management system as well as the electric motor, power electronics, and transmission into the axle drive. This makes the axle drive more compact and lighter and ensures greater comfort. A particularly efficient thermal management system also ensures that a car travels further on one battery charge and charges faster. Another new development are electric beam axles for pick-up trucks. In the future, Schaeffler will supply beam axles to automobile manufacturers, particularly in North America.

Efficiency factor thermal management
Heat is a scarce and valuable resource in electric cars. They do not have the waste heat from internal combustion engines for heating the interior, for example. Furthermore, particularly at high and low outside temperatures, the range and rapid charging capability essentially depend on whether, for example, the battery can be held in a suitable temperature window. “The thermal management system has a significant influence on the efficiency and comfort of the vehicle,” says Dr. Jochen Schröder, head of the E-Mobility business division at Schaeffler. The company therefore already offers thermal management systems for all types of vehicle powertrains and is continuing to develop them. A new approach is the combination of the drive components of a conventional electric axle with the thermal management system, which was an independent module in most cases until now. “This creates a highly integrated and compact complete system, which requires significantly less space than non-integrated solutions,” says Schröder. Furthermore, less energy is lost in the form of heat because unnecessary hoses and cables can be dispensed with. “In addition to the compact design, the greatest advantage of the 4in1 system is the optimized interaction of the individual subsystems,” says Schröder. This is because Schaeffler’s experts always consider the thermal behavior of individual drive components such as the electric motor or the power electronics as well as the most efficient and comprehensive thermal management of the entire vehicle. For example, an intelligent control system ensures that excess heat is efficiently dissipated from the power electronics and electric motor and that it is used in the interior of the vehicle. The temperature of the battery is also regulated in such a way that the car can travel further on one battery charge and that it charges faster.