|
|
|
|
|
09/07/2009
 Email to a friend
 Comment on this article
|
Xtrac, traditionally a company that focuses on motorsport applications, has produced a gearbox for use in electric vehicles.
 At one time, the trend was to have electric motors directly connected to wheel hubs. However, it has recently been discovered that the efficient and lightweight motors, commonly favoured by electric vehicle manufacturers, need to rotate quickly relative to the wheel, making a gearbox necessary.
Xtrac development director, Cliff Hawkins said: "Lessons learnt about efficient design and manufacture have given Xtrac's gearboxes a definite advantage. The space available to house batteries and other essential driveline components is at a real premium in electric and hybrid vehicles; essentially requiring the same set of skills as packaging an engine and transmission into a racecar."
Hawkins said that Xtrac plans to produce 100 prototype transmissions for hybrid and electric vehicles by the end of this year. He explained: "These are mostly destined for technology evaluation, ultimately for high volume road cars and with all manner of innovative power train configurations."
|
|
| |
Author
Tom Shelley
|
| |
| |
|
| |
This material is protected by Findlay Media copyright 2012.
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.
|
| |
|
|
| |
To comment on news stories or blogs you need to complete our 60 second registration
process. Once completed this then allows you to download any and all white papers,
register for e-zines and access our detailed supplier directory for FREE.
If you are all ready a registered user then enter your e-mail address and login.
You will need to have logged in prior to entering your comments in the boxes provided.
|