Dana Inc. has started manufacturing its Spicer Electrified™ eS9000r e-axle for Class 4 and 5 commercial fleet applications, and claims this positions itself as the "first to market in North America" with an axle technology for medium-duty commercial electric vehicles, meaning Class 4 and Class 5 trucks. These are medium-duty trucks used as transport and delivery vehicles, often referred to as "box trucks"
Dana further declared it is the only supplier able to manufacture all components of an e-axle system, including gears, axle, motor, and inverter.
The e-S9000r is a fully integrated "e-axle", including gearbox and motor, based on Dana's Spicer® S110, S111, and S130 rear-drive axle systems. It can be incorporated as a "drop-in solution" for most medium-duty truck chassis, offering a less complex driveline while allowing batteries to be located between the frame rails.
It also incorporates a patent-pending, electronically controlled parking pawl system, which links and loks an automatic transmission system.
The e-S9000r is engineered as a "drop-in solution" for existing commercial-vehicle suspension systems.
According to Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, the manufacturer expects the medium-duty truck class to be the first to deploy electric-vehicle technology on a wide scale.
The e-Axle will be available for ordering by vehicle manufacturers in 3Q 2020.
