ISSUE 012 Winter 2021 Sigma Powertrain EMAX transmission dossier l In conversation: David Hudson l 48 V systems focus l 2021 Battery Show North America and Cenex-LCV reports l Everrati Porsche 911 digest l Switching insight l Motor laminations focus

The low-carbon lowdown W ith the Covid-19 pandemic gradually becoming less severe, the Cenex-LCV (Low Carbon Vehicles) event returned to the UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK to showcase some of the latest research projects and commercial products in low-to-zero carbon mobility. About 3300 people attended the event, to test-drive the many cutting-edge EVs and examine the newest solutions for propulsion, transmission, energy storage, connectivity, testing and much more that the 171 exhibitors had on display. Meritor exhibited at Cenex to showcase its two new electric powertrain solutions, launched under the company’s Blue Horizon brand for future vehicle systems. “Our new powertrains, the 14Xe and 17Xe, are intended for use on medium- and heavy-duty low or zero-emission commercial vehicles,” Tony Williams said. “The 14Xe is designed for applications ranging from 9-26 t vehicles running around 150-200 kW continuous power, and the 17Xe is designed for 26-44 t vehicles providing power between 290 and 420 kW depending on the mission profile. “Both systems are designed for modularity, which allows Meritor to work with OEMs or integrators to understand their duty cycle and determine the most appropriate product configuration.” The two e-powertrains are designed with bevel differential gearsets to enable high efficiency (including during regeneration) with minimal noise, vibration and harshness, as well as intelligent controls for gearshifting, slip control and acceleration and deceleration management, among other features. Compact Orbital Gears (COG) attended the show to share its experience and capabilities in creating complex and efficient driveline systems, and how they might be applied to the EV market. “Since 1964 we’ve been making bespoke gearboxes with epicyclic gears and parallel shafts for the automotive, aerospace and motorsport markets, among others, for powertrains as well as test rigs,” Laurence Adams explained. “A lot of blue-chip clients across formula racing and aerospace have used our lightweight systems, as well as our highest speed-range systems – we have engineered gearboxes that output between 0.5 and 125,000 rpm.” Adams added that COG is talking to customers about systems that can output even faster speeds, up to 200,000 rpm, and he notes that COG has the knowledge and experience to design and manufacture whatever gear ratios are needed to reach such targets, depending on the power and torque requirements of the test bed. “Other than specialist heat treatment, larger fabrications and some paint treatments, we do all the manufacturing in-house,” he noted, “All the gears, splines, and boxes are made in our 33,000 sq ft facility, where we’ve recently added two new CNC machines, and a lot of our newer activity is in repairing or reverse- engineering older gearboxes whose manufacturers have ceased trading.” Rory Jackson presents some of the EV technology highlights of this recent UK exhibition 46 Winter 2021 | E-Mobility Engineering Meritor’s 17Xe electric powertrain is designed to be integrated into the chassis of medium- and heavy-duty trucks Compact Orbital Gears’ 14-1 micro epicyclic gearset