Schaeffler supplies first customers with fully electric wheel hub motors

See Schaeffler at MachineBuilding.Live, 4 October 2023, on stand 69

Three manufacturers of compact municipal vehicles are gearing up to incorporate high-efficiency electric wheel hub motors made by Schaeffler into their production lines in the coming months.

Fully electrified, their road sweepers, vans and snowplough vehicles will operate with zero local CO2 emissions, leading to improved air quality in urban areas. “Schaeffler is reinventing the drive systems used in small, lightweight electric utility vehicles in our inner cities,” said Matthias Zink, Schaeffler’s CEO for automotive technologies.

The defining feature of the new wheel hub motors is that all the components needed for propulsion and braking are integrated directly into the wheel rim, rather than being positioned centrally or mounted on the drive axles. This architecture saves space and makes the vehicles much more agile and manoeuvrable in city traffic. Utility vehicles powered by these low-noise, fully electric motors are very quiet to operate, resulting in reduced sound pollution in pedestrian areas and on city streets. They can also be operated for extended hours in residential areas because the disturbance to residents is so much less.

One of the first companies to be launching a multi-function vehicle comprising Schaeffler wheel hub motor technology onto the market this year is Jungo. Jungo and Schaeffler have been partnering to tailor the drive technology to the specific everyday requirements of commercial street sweeping.

“The electric in-wheel motors and braking technology eliminates the need for oil changes and greatly enhances our vehicles’ performance in terms of efficiency, power-to-weight ratio, safety, handling and braking reliability,” said Jungo founder and CEO Nicolas Jungo.

Schaeffler’s wheel hub motors have a broad range of inner-city mobile machinery applications, including street sweeping, snow clearing, and waste collection. “In this vehicle segment, as in others, the question is: what’s the fastest and most efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions? And the answer to that question is electrification,” said Dr. Jochen Schröder, head of e-mobility at Schaeffler.

This new drive technology opens up a new and steadily growing market for Schaeffler. The company aims to see its wheel hub motors used in more and more utility and service vehicles in towns and cities, on factory campuses, and at logistics centres, ports, airports and large parking facilities. These types of vehicles tend to be operated on set routes, so they are a good fit for the fixed ranges and predictable charging times of electric drives. Another key benefit for vehicle operators is that the wheel hub motors have long-life, low-maintenance wheel bearings and gearboxes.

Schaeffler’s fully electric wheel hub motors have an architecture in which the electric motor (stator and rotor), gearbox and mechanical friction brake are arranged around the wheel bearing inside the rim. This compact design envelope frees up space elsewhere in the vehicle – for the battery or cargo stowage, for example. It also gives vehicle manufacturers greater design freedom, allowing them to develop a wide range of mobility formats, including rolling chassis solutions. “Our highly integrated electric wheel hub motors also improve vehicle manoeuvrability, which is a key prerequisite for automated driving,” said Schröder.

The wheel hub motor, including the gearbox, is very compact, fitting inside a 14-inch rim. The inverter, on the other hand, is not integrated, and can be accommodated anywhere in the vehicle. A single inverter controls one or two wheel hub motors, depending on the use scenario. The motor’s power output is scaleable, depending on the application, ranging from 7 kW to 26 kW (nominal) and peaking at 60 kW for short bursts.

The torque generated by the electric motor is transmitted via the gearbox directly to the wheel. This direct transmission reduces energy loss, making the drive highly efficient. Another key benefit is that torque and direction of rotation are controlled individually for each wheel, resulting in an all-wheel drive vehicle that can handle hills with consummate ease, even in winter road conditions. Schaeffler currently develops wheel hub motors for 48 V and 400 V applications and is exploring the possibility of higher voltages.

Schaeffler (UK) Ltd

Unit 308, Fort Dunlop
Fort Parkway
BIRMINGHAM
B24 9FD
UNITED KINGDOM

+44 (0)121 313 5830

info.uk@schaeffler.com

https://medias.schaeffler.co.uk/en

More news
NSK bearings help pet food plant raise OEE
When a major UK pet food producer wanted better machine utilisation with the aim of raising its OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) by 3 points, it asked experts at bearing specialist NSK if they could evaluate processes and systems to help with this improvement goal.
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has “inspiring discussions” at SPS
Drive specialist NORD DRIVESYSTEMS reports a highly success time at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg, with three intensive days on the topic of efficient drive solutions for the automation industry.
A Christmas gift with every GS Yuasa battery
GS Yuasa has unwrapped its latest promotion – a Christmas present with every battery. Whether you’re buying a battery for a Pyronix alarm system or a Peugeot – qualifying purchases of both GS and Yuasa batteries throughout December will include a festive freebie.
Beckhoff UK and HepcoMotion’s mechatronics showcase takes centre stage
Automation technology specialist Beckhoff UK, in collaboration with leading manufacturer of linear motion systems, HepcoMotion, hosted a mechatronics showcase at MK7, the home of Oracle Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes, with several innovations from both companies on display, as well as a brand-new product reveal – the GFX-r guidance system.
PPMA re-brand puts automation at the heart of UK manufacturing
The PPMA Group of Associations has re-branded and has changed its name to AutomateUK to better represent the needs of its membership and their end user customers in the ever-changing manufacturing landscape.
steute Technologies restructures its business fields
steute Technologies, an international technology company offering switches, intelligent sensors and wireless systems, has announced a comprehensive restructuring of its business fields.
Young designers take off with e-racing cars and support from norelem
Set around the challenge to build and operate a purely electric racing car, this year’s Formula Student (Electric) competition put student designers to the test. To prepare several teams for the event, the VDI Racing Camp powered by norelem brought together more than 250 participants from across Germany, preparing them for the prestigious competition by providing components and support to each team.
Showcasing design, production and process engineering in the food and drink sect
Taking place on 1 May 2024 at the National Motorcycle Museum, Food Manufacturing Live serves the design, production, process and maintenance engineering teams across the UK food and drink manufacturing sector.
Understanding safety and security for the protection of human and machine
How do you master employee protection, liability protection, productivity and data protection? How do you increase your quality and simultaneously prevent manipulation on your machines? How do you protect your data and employees in equal measure? Pilz is hosting a free webinar on 15 December, 9:30-10:30 am, to address just these questions.
Schaffner opens new regional channels for its range of EMC solutions
EMC solutions provider, Schaffner, announces new partnerships with three distributors to further broaden the reach and scope of its product range and support services across Europe. The new agreements with Telerex, CATS and DSL Components will open new supplier corridors and enable customers to have local and faster access to products.

Login / Sign up