Eaton has announced its Vehicle Group has formed a new ePowertrain business unit, which will focus on products from Eaton’s electrified vehicle (EV) transmission, reduction gearing and differential portfolios.
The company says combining the product lines into a new ePowertrain business unit creates synergy among Eaton’s powertrain and EV experts and allows the Vehicle Group to offer its global customers solutions for commercial and light-duty EVs.
“Automakers face many challenges when developing an EV powertrain, such as optimizing efficiency, weight, and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and dealing with packaging constraints,” said Anthony Cronin, product director, EV Gearing and Differentials, Eaton’s Vehicle Group. “Eaton can help manufacturers overcome these challenges by utilizing our many years of experience and in-house capabilities in design, validation and manufacturing of high-precision, high-quality gearing, transmissions and differential solutions.”
Eaton’s portfolio of multispeed transmissions includes 2-, 4- and 6-speed electrified commercial vehicle transmissions. Eaton’s EV transmissions are based on proven, robust, and efficient layshaft architecture typical of automated manual transmissions (AMTs) and shifting is synchronized without a clutch using a traction motor.
Unlike direct-drive transmissions that have long been the standard in EVs, Eaton claims its transmission portfolio offers significantly greater efficiency at high speeds as well as increased torque at launch and low speeds. The EV transmissions feature a lightweight countershaft gearbox that boasts a range of torque capacities and electric gearshift actuation, allowing use of smaller electric motors.