Continental has introduced a new high-performance axle drive unit, combining an electric motor, power electronics and reduction gear in a single housing. The company’s axle drive will debut in several Chinese and European EVs later this year.
“We offer the highly integrated axle drive in two performance levels, with 120kW or 150kW. The new, high-voltage drive, comprising electric motor, power electronics and reduction gear, has also reached a previously unseen level of development,” said Thomas Stierle, head of the hybrid electric vehicle business unit of the Continental Powertrain division.
Capable of outputting up to 150kW and a maximum torque of up to 310Nm, the electric axle drive is equivalent to a conventional two-liter turbo-diesel engine. The electric motor and power electronics of the new system are liquid-cooled.
Series production of the new axle drive will begin at the Continental plant in Tianjin, China, in the third quarter of 2019.