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Schaeffler electrifies municipal utility vehicles with wheel hub motors
Three manufacturers of compact municipal vehicles are preparing to incorporate Schaeffler's electric wheel hub motors into their production lines in the coming months. Their street sweepers, small transporters, and snowplow vehicles will then operate without local CO2 emissions, thereby improving air quality in cities.
“Schaeffler is reinventing drive systems for small, lightweight electric commercial vehicles in our city centers," says Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler.
Characteristically, the new wheel hub motors incorporate all components necessary for driving and braking directly into the wheel rim, rather than being centrally located or mounted on the drive axles. This architecture saves space and makes the vehicles significantly more agile and maneuverable in city traffic.
Less Noise, Fewer Emissions
Commercial vehicles powered by these low-noise, fully electric motors operate very quietly, leading to reduced noise pollution in pedestrian zones and on urban streets. They can also be operated for longer periods in residential areas as residents are less disturbed.
Wheel Hub Motors in Street Cleaning
One of the first companies to launch a multifunctional vehicle with Schaeffler wheel hub motor technology this year is Jungo. Jungo and Schaeffler have jointly tailored the drive technology to the specific daily requirements of commercial street cleaning.
"The electric wheel hub motors and braking technology make oil changes unnecessary and significantly improve our vehicles' performance in terms of efficiency, power-to-weight ratio, safety, handling, and braking reliability," says Nicolas Jungo, founder and CEO of Jungo.
Efficient Solution for a Wide Range of Urban and Mobility Scenarios
Schaeffler's wheel hub motors have a broad range of applications in urban mobility, such as street cleaning, snow removal, and garbage collection.
"In this vehicle segment as well, the question arises: What is the fastest and most efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions? And the answer to that is electrification," says Dr. Jochen Schröder, Head of E-Mobility at Schaeffler.
With this new drive technology, Schaeffler is opening up a new, steadily growing market. The company plans to use its wheel hub motors in more and more utility and service vehicles in cities, on factory premises, in logistics centers, ports, airports, and large parking lots. These types of vehicles are typically operated on fixed routes and are therefore well-suited to the fixed ranges and predictable charging times of electric drives. Another important advantage for vehicle operators is that the wheel hub motors feature durable, low-maintenance wheel bearings and gearboxes.
Stator, rotor, and brake in the wheel
Schaeffler's fully electric wheel hub motors have a unique architecture where the electric motor (stator and rotor), gearbox, and mechanical friction brake are arranged around the wheel bearing within the rim. This compact design frees up space elsewhere in the vehicle, for example for the battery or storage space. It also offers vehicle manufacturers greater design freedom, enabling them to develop a wide range of mobility forms, including rolling chassis solutions.
“Our highly integrated electric wheel hub motors also improve the vehicle's maneuverability, which is an important prerequisite for automated driving,” says Jochen Schröder.
Wheel hub motor saves space and improves driving dynamics
The wheel hub motor, including the gearbox, is very compact and fits into a 14-inch rim. The inverter, on the other hand, is not integrated and can be placed anywhere in the vehicle. A single inverter controls one or two wheel hub motors, depending on the application scenario. The motor's power is scalable depending on the application, ranging from 7 kW to 26 kW (nominal) and reaching peak values of 60 kW for short periods. The torque generated by the electric motor is transmitted directly to the wheel via the gearbox. This direct transmission reduces energy losses and makes the drive very efficient. Another key advantage is that the torque and rotational direction can be controlled individually for each wheel.
What does this mean?
Based on the wheel hub motors, all-wheel-drive vehicles for various applications in the municipal sector can be easily realized. Schaeffler is currently developing wheel hub motors for 48V and 400V applications. The electrification of municipal vehicles, which usually only require very short ranges, is long overdue.
Translated automatically from German.
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Elektromobilität , Newsletter Elektromobilität , IAA Mobility , SUVs und Geländewagen , Hybrid , Antriebsarten, Kraftstoffe und Emissionen , Oberklasse- und Sportwagen , Carsharing , Autonomes Fahren (Straßenverkehr) , Ladeinfrastruktur , Verkehrspolitik , Formel E , Brennstoffzellen , Fahrzeug-Vernetzung und -Kommunikation , Fahrzeuge & Fuhrpark , Automotive-Messen & Veranstaltungen , Pkw, Kompakt- und Mittelklasse , Minis und Kleinwagen , E-Auto-Datenbank, E-Mobilität-/Automotive-Newsletter, E-Auto-Tests
