Friday, 07 October 2022 09:55

Electronic axle on offer

Written by  Staff Reporters
ZF eBeam Electric Axle ZF eBeam Electric Axle

German gearbox and transaxle manufacturers ZF has developed an electronic axle said to be capable of converting any conventionally powered vehicle with a solid axle into a battery electric vehicle.

The ZF eBeam Axle features a centrally mounted electric motor, transmission and inverter, located where you would normally find the differential casing, essentially turning a solid axle into its own driveline.

Said to be intended for use on light to medium-duty utility vehicles, the axle would appear to offer manufacturers an off-the-shelf solution to electrifying their current range of pickups and trucks at a fraction of the cost typically needed to develop their own electric powertrain.

Scheduled to enter production in 2025, engines would likely be substituted for battery packs, as recently demonstrated on a production Chevrolet Silverado 2500 pick-up truck in the US. In that case, using the eBeam axle, the Silverado produced 300kW and 1,020Nm torque, although the company says outputs can be supplied between 180 and 350kW. Of course, range will be determined by application, says ZF.

Other points for consideration will likely centre around the addition of batteries, meaning tare weight will increase, meaning manufacturers would probably need to introduce suspension component upgrades to deal with the added load.

Looking forwards, it appears that eBeam could solve a problem facing many kiwis with any impending combustion engine bans, allowing utes to be retrofitted with, or delivered from new, with a viable electric-powered alternative.

More like this

Calf feeding boost

Advantage Plastics says it is revolutionising calf meal storage and handling, making farm life easier, safer, and more efficient this season.

JD's precision essentials

Farmers across New Zealand are renowned for their productivity and efficiency, always wanting to do more with less, while getting the most from each pass of the paddock.

Kioti carves out a miracle among the big boys

Distributed by Power Farming Group, the Kioti tractor brand has carved a niche for itself over the past two decades by offering productive, reliable and well- priced machines in the sub-compact, compact and agricultural utility sectors, from 22 to 115hp.

Featured

LIC Space folds for good

Farmer co-operative LIC has closed its satellite-backed pasture measurement platform – Space.

Editorial: Time for common sense

OPINION: The case of four Canterbury high country stations facing costly and complex consent hearing processes highlights the dilemma facing the farming sector as the country transitions into a replacement for the Resource Management Act (RMA).

National

DairyNZ Farmers Forum underway

Over 300 farmers and rural professionals have gathered in Hamilton for the first DairyNZ Farmers Forum for this year.

Machinery & Products

Shearing legend hooked on CanAm

Sir David Fagan, world-renowned competitive sheep shearer with 642 shearing titles worldwide and a knighthood to his name, now runs…

50 years of tractor pull

This year, the Fieldays Tractor Pull, in association with PTS Logistics, mark a major milestone – 50 years of crowd-thrilling…

The Wrangler's birthday bash

It's the Wrangler Limited’s 30th birthday and to celebrate the milestone a prototype of the E Series Wrangler - a…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Free speech

OPINION: The Free Speech Union is taking this one too far.

Drug survey

OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter