According to the company, the newly introduced range of electric-drive axle products include passive and active limited-slip differentials, torque-vectoring technology and disconnect systems to facilitate fuel economy.
The company, which has produced more than 200,000 units of electric-drive axle for various vehicle manufacturers since 2002, has recently developed an electric-drive axle for use in the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4.
The axle, which allows the front-wheel-drive vehicles to have all-wheel-drive performance, provides supplemental traction and torque and the ability to the vehicles to operate in electric drive mode. It features GKN Driveline’s proprietary disconnect clutch technology which facilitates on-demand, all-wheel-drive (AWD).
The electric-drive axle in the HYbrid4 delivers 1500Nm of torque to the vehicle’s rear wheels. GNK is also developing other units with maximum torque of 2500Nm, several of which will be ready for volume production by 2012.
Rob Rickell, global engineering director of GKN Driveline, said: “GKN’s experience in volume production of electric-drive axles as well as our wide variety of limited slip differentials and torque vectoring products, allows us to offer a range of products from simple EVs to vehicles designed for maximum performance and handling.”
