Schaeffler Provides Transmission Solutions for Audi e-tron
Schaeffler has launched a large-scale manufacturing of gearboxes for the electric drive in the Audi e-tron, becoming a significant event for the company’s E-Mobility branch. Designed and manufactured at 2 facilities in Germany, the gearbox ensures improved driving experience while providing comfortable and low-noise operation.
Schaeffler designed 2 options:
- gearbox in a coaxial arrangement that drives the back axle
- gearbox in a parallel arrangement that drives the forward axle
Schaeffler’s coaxial
gearbox for back axle of the Audi e-tron
Schaeffler’s parallel gearbox
for front axle of the Audi e-tron
Both options are implemented in the new Audi e-tron. The coaxial option ensures a driver-friendly RWD, while the parallel axis option on the forward axle enables AWD. The essential element of the whole unit is the planetary gear set with the embedded spur differential designed by engineers of the company. Electric vehicles are gaining momentum, but this means of transport will become truly competitive on the market if they offer similar levels of driving convenience and pleasure as their analogs with IC- engines.
Modern cars
have strict requirements on their actuating systems. These systems must not
only guarantee comfortable driving in urban areas, they are also required to have
the capacity of switching to a sport mode with high speed-ups. The adaptation
of standard powertrains in e-cars requires advanced technical solution from
both carmakers and their suppliers.
Both gearboxes have planetary gear architecture and transmit up to 295 ft-lb of input torque. The rear coaxial unit weighs just 16 kg and has an embedded parking lock for heavy loads. Because of the modular structure, these gearbox solutions can be used for other applications. No matter whether it is for e-cars or the hybrid powertrains based on IC-engines, Schaeffler’s modular unit complies with all requirements as a result of the new E-mobility policy. Schaeffler launched batch manufacturing of e-tron gearboxes in late summer of 2018. It is expected that the annual production output will reach up to 250,000 units in the future.
