GKN Driveline says demand for its electric rear-drive axles, or eAxle, is soaring, as auto makers scramble to increase fuel efficiency at a reasonable cost.
The U.K.-based supplier has considerable experience in developing the axles, which the company says can improve fuel efficiency by up to 35%. Over the past 10 years, it has supplied more than 250,000 eAxles to Mazda and Nissan in Japan.
“GKN has had the technology in the market since 2002 for traction assist in Japan,” Ray Kuczera, vice president-engineering at GKN Driveline Americas, tells WardsAuto in an interview.
“Around 2008, we were approached by a European (OEM) to do a similar technology for larger vehicles for (fuel efficiency) and high performance, rather than just traction assist.”
The technology, which consists of an electric motor that drives the rear axle, is a cost-efficient way to boost fuel economy, because it converts an existing front-wheel-drive platform into an all-wheel-drive-hybrid platform, he says.
The motor can be used to travel short distances using only electric power and provides instant torque at launch. When not needed, it automatically switches off, allowing the conventional diesel or gas engine to drive the vehicle. The technology also can be used to power the rear axle for longer periods if AWD is needed for additional traction.
“The advantage is you have the standard bones of a vehicle and the existing chassis, and add hybrid,” Kuczera says. “Development costs are less expensive than a dedicated hybrid. Everyone is anticipating (fuel-economy and emissions) regulations, and that’s driving a lot of interest.”
An added benefit of eAxle is that it allows an auto maker to reduce the size of the diesel or gas engine, providing additional cost savings, he says.
Jim Voeffray, GKN executive vice president-sales and marketing, says most demand for eAxle is coming from Europe, followed by China. In the U.S. and Japan, the company is “seeing interest, but they’re later to the party.”
“One of the big drivers in Europe is that many companies have carbon-dioxide thresholds, and the one way for (consumers) to get the car they desire is to buy hybrids,” he says.
“So more and more premium vehicles, larger SUVs and cars need hybrid solutions to get under the company-car threshold, and this electric rear axle is a good way to achieve that and still get performance.”
PSA Peugeot Citroen of France is one of the latest auto makers to utilize eAxle on its Peugeot 3008 HY4 cross/utility vehicle, which goes on sale later this year. The CUV will be followed by the Peugeot 508 HY4 and Citroen DS5 HY4.
“The (3008) has been around for a year and only is available in 2-wheel drive, and now it’s going to get AWD with an electric-rear axle,” Voeffray says, adding that nearly every major auto maker is exploring electric rear axles, although not all have approved projects.
