LONG BEACH, California—Dana announced during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2021 that it will begin production of its eS9000r e-Axle—the first in a line of Spicer Electrified Zero-6 e-Axles—to support the market launch of the Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) all-electric MT50e medium-duty last-mile delivery vehicle.
Designed with a custom Spicer S130 rear drive axle, the propulsion system for the MT50e application is engineered as a fully integrated e-axle, including a gearbox and motor, providing up to 240 kW of power to support the vehicle's driving range of up to 170 miles.
"As more and more vehicle manufacturers rely on Dana innovations for their electrified vehicle architectures, we continue to evaluate each application to provide the ideal electrodynamic system for the given vehicle, duty cycle, and customer requirements," noted Ryan Laskey, SVP of commercial vehicle drive and motion systems for Dana.
The Zero-6 e-Axles integrate into the all-electric FCCC MT50e chassis, streamlining the e-propulsion system that is designed with full-charge capability in about three hours using DC fast charging. Also included in the design of the e-axle is Dana's patented, electronically controlled parking pawl system.
In addition, Dana announced an expansion of its Spicer Electrified e-Powertrain offerings to include a family of single and tandem e-axles designed for a variety of Class 7 and 8 applications. The new e-axle portfolio offers electric powertrain solutions, including systems for direct drive and now 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 multi-speed e-axle systems.
Dana’s new e-axles have been designed to integrate into most existing chassis. The platform utilizes technologies, including Dana TM4 motors and inverters, Spicer high-efficiency axle gearing, Graziano synchronizers, transmission controllers, system software, and shift system and controls. The 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 configurations are compatible with drum or disc brakes and are available as completely integrated fully dressed assemblies. The e-axles range from 52,000 Nm to 69,000 Nm of nominal output torque, and support gross axle weight ratings from 21,000 to 30,000 lb. for single e-axle configurations, and 40,000 to 52,000 lb. for tandem e-axle propulsion.
“These new e-axles are predicated on our most sought-after, field-proven technologies,” Laskey added. “They are currently undergoing testing around the world in both battery-electric and fuel-cell applications and are ready for full-scale adoption as the commercial-vehicle segment continues to progress to fully electrified platforms.”
