The automotive and industrial supplier, Schaeffler, develops and produces innovative technologies in China which are tailored-made for the mobility of tomorrow. At the same time, mobility requirements for the Chinese market are very varied. At Auto Shanghai 2017, Schaeffler is presenting products for the electrified drive train that are customized for the Chinese market and ready for volume production.
The Chinese car industry is facing strategic challenges regarding the development of new vehicles and drive concepts. Rapid urbanization and structural changes are leading to new regulations on reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Legal requirements stipulate, for example, that the average fuel consumption of vehicles produced in China must not exceed 5 liters per 100 kilometers as of 2020. Chinese OEMs will only be able to meet these requirements if an increased focus is placed on electrified vehicles. Schaeffler is presenting a wide range of products and solutions at Auto Shanghai: From hybrid modules to the electric axle, the company offers solutions for hybrid vehicles and all-electric automobiles for both 48 volt and high voltage systems.
Products tailored to the Chinese market
With the electric axle, the P2 hybrid module, and the “E-Clutch” for the hybridization of manual transmissions, Schaeffler offers three selected volume production solutions that were specifically matched to the Chinese market. “Electrification of drives will fundamentally change the mobility of individuals within the decade to come. According to estimates, the global production of hybrid and all-electric vehicles will account for approximately half of the overall vehicle production between 2025 and 2030”, says Dr. Zang, CEO Greater China at Schaeffler. This trend can also be seen on the Chinese market. “Driven by political boundary conditions, the automotive industry is undergoing dramatic changes. Thanks to our technological expertise, Schaeffler is in an excellent position to face this development”, he continues.
In detail
With the electric axle in the so-called P4 arrangement, Schaeffler provides a future-oriented drive train solution for hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Schaeffler is now electrifying Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that are increasingly popular in China with its two-speed electric axle developed for the Chinese market. The cost-optimized electric axle achieves a starting torque of up to 3000 Nm and a maximum speed of 210 km/h. Due to the two-speed electric axle, the electric motor runs permanently in a highly efficient operating range. This ensures a high level of performance and increases the electric range in all-electric mode (EV mode). What is more, the two-speed design offers lower speeds at a high travel velocity. The compact dimensions of the electric axle increase the vehicle’s load carrying capacity and significantly reduce the design envelope. The first volume production application in a Chinese SUV model will start at the end of 2017.
With the high-voltage hybrid module in P2 arrangement, Schaeffler is presenting another exciting approach to the electrification of the drive train, which can be adapted to a large number of drive concepts on a modular basis. Schaeffler’s hybrid module showcased at the automotive trade show in Shanghai is tailor-made for Chinese OEMs. In applications for plug-in hybrids (PHEV), Schaeffler’s P2 hybrid module contributes to a reduction in fuel consumption and has at least 70 percent with an all-electric range of 50 kilometers. A maximum speed of 135 km/h can be reached in purely electric driving mode (EV mode); the vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds. This new P2 hybrid module will be put into volume production for the first time at the end of 2017.
Manual transmissions are widely used on the Chinese market because of their efficiency. Schaeffler has developed intelligent, automated solutions for purely mechanically or hydraulically-operated clutch systems also for Asia. Depending on the extension stage, the system known to experts as an “E-clutch” either operates the clutch only in specific driving situations or completely automates all clutch operations. This means that fuel-saving driving strategies, from “sailing” to electrically-assisted driving, can also be used in vehicles with manual transmissions. Until now, this has only been possible in combination with automatic transmissions. Schaeffler’s “E-Clutch” enables the hybridization of manual transmissions, paving the way into new markets and segments – also in China. Several Chinese OEMs have now expressed interest in Schaeffler’s E-Clutch solutions and volume production is about to start.
“Electrified drives play a particularly important role on the Asian market. China is an important market for us, and we will therefore make further investments in customized technologies in order to help Chinese OEMs to fulfill legal requirements,” says Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive at Schaeffler.
