Powertrain developer Voith is further expanding its product lines in the e-mobility sector for commercial vehicles with a heavy-duty version of its Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS) and the introduction of its Plug & Drive H2 storage system.
The VEDS HD+ is the company’s first drive concept for heavy-duty trucks, which has been developed in specific configurations for waste collection vehicles, inner-city logistics or long-distance transportation applications to ensure efficient operation across different use cases. The core of the system is a new automated four-speed electric transmission to optimize traction while at the same time enabling the electric motor to be operated in its optimum speed range. The VEDS HD+ will be available in two versions with peak outputs of 330kW and 390kW respectively.
The company has also unveiled its Plug & Drive H2 storage system, which enables customers to acquire an entire hydrogen system from a single source, covering the tank nozzle to the fuel cell inlet, including a patented installation system to accommodate the H2 tanks. Voith notes that it uses pre-impregnated fibers, so-called TowPregs, to produce the tanks, which are manufactured in house. The production utilizes a special winding process that enables optimized winding layers to comfortably accommodate 700 bar storage pressures.
The Plug & Drive H2 storage system is primarily designed for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, construction vehicles and similar applications, where the use of battery-electric concepts does not make sense from an economical or technical perspective.