Features & Interviews TNB News

Five minutes with… Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler AG

31 October 2024 #Features & Interviews #TNB News

Tell us about Schaeffler’s electrified powertrain products?

Electrified powertrains have been part of Schaeffler’s core business for many years. The recent merger with Vitesco Technologies builds on this, enabling the company to further expand its expertise and capabilities in powertrain electronics and software.

Innovations include everything from permanent-magnet electric motors featuring wave winding technology and offering over 200 kilowatts of continuous output, to fuel cell stacks with graphite and metal bipolar plates and a maximum output of 140 kilowatts, to 800-volt power electronics based on silicon carbide semiconductors.

Successful decarbonisation will require efficiency increases across all relevant powertrain technologies, from diesel and hydrogen combustion engines to battery electric and fuel cell drives.

We are supporting our customers as partners for successful transformation – so that they can meet their emission reduction targets. That is why our strategy is to develop and manufacture a mix of energy- and resource-efficient powertrain solutions for a wide range of applications.

What about the company’s e-axle product?

We provide a heavy duty e-axle assembly comprising two electric motors, a three-speed transmission, electromechanical actuator technology, and silicon carbide power electronics. The electric axle also features insert-unit wheel bearings that have been fitted into cast housings to form wheel bearing units, mounted onto the axle, and then clamped in place.

This compact design results in weight savings of up to 15 kilograms per wheel compared with standard tapered roller bearings. It also eliminates the maintenance typically required by other bearing designs.

Used in combination with friction-optimized seals, insert units can reduce friction by up to 70%. In battery electric vehicles, that corresponds to about 5 kilometres of additional range per charge.

How is Schaeffler optimising the efficiency of combustion engines?

When it comes to meeting climate targets, every single gram of emission savings counts. That is why Schaeffler is developing technologically leading-edge components and systems for improving the energy efficiency of hydrogen, diesel and natural-gas engines.

iFlexAir is a variable valvetrain system for commercial vehicles that can reduce CO2 emissions of diesel vehicles by up to 5%. In hydrogen combustion engines, the system boosts efficiency by 6% while significantly reducing NOx raw emissions.

This technology is complemented by the NOx sensor from Vitesco, which measures the NOx concentration in exhaust gas and hence supports both efficient exhaust gas treatment and reliable monitoring of compliance with emission standards such as Euro-7.

Tell us about your technologies for automated driving?

The trend towards highly automated driving is gathering pace, with several vehicle manufacturers planning to start production of highly automated (Level 4) commercial vehicles by as soon as 2027.

This technology is sorely needed because of the growing worldwide shortage of drivers.

Schaeffler is helping to drive the necessary change in the transportation sector with various innovative chassis technologies that are enablers of highly automated driving.

These include the electro-hydraulic power steering system (EHPS) and the Advanced Sensor Cleaning System (ASCS). Schaeffler has been delivering the redundant EHPS system for use in the series production of a Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer since 2023. The system supports Level 2 automation and higher-level autonomous driving functions.

The ASCS system was developed by Vitesco Technologies to clean autonomous-vehicle cameras and sensors and hence safeguard error-free functioning.


Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler AG

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