Efficient Drivetrains Inc (EDI), which specializes in high-efficiency, zero-emissions, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle drivetrain systems, recently made available its all-electric EDI PowerDrive 6000ev drivetrain.
The system already is integrated into OEM platforms and is an ideal fit for goods movement, logistics, port and utility vehicle applications.
Efficient Drivetrains offers the EDI PowerDrive 6000ev series as an electrification kit, and it also offers a developer support program for OEMs looking to bring medium-duty electrified vehicle offerings to market to comply with impending emissions reductions mandates.
“The combination of financial incentives, regulations and regional government mandates to lower emissions and increase mileage requirements, is transforming the industry globally,” said Joerg Ferchau, Efficient Drivetrains’ CEO.
“Vocational work trucks, goods movement vehicles and passenger transportation vehicles are leading the pack, racing to actualize the benefits of electrification, and EDI continues to do its part, actively collaborating with leading OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to speed time to market.”
The EDI PowerDrive kit offers OEMs a modular design for simple integration into existing chassis, enabling rapid introduction. The extensibility of EDI’s system is an ideal vehicle electrification platform, aligned to industry requirements, and will enable OEMs to meet idle-free, zero-emissions requirements for city and highway driving, with no impact to vehicle performance.
In the United States, more than 6 percent of greenhouse gas emissions were a result of the medium- and heavy-duty trucking industry, the company said. Globally, government mandates and regulations continue to tighten restrictions on emissions and increase mileage requirements, in some cases banning internal combustion engines.
Improving air quality remains a constant for governing bodies, and include strong financial incentives, with funding programs from the Air Resources Board, Energy Commission and Department of Energy created to accelerate adoption. With an estimated 60 percent of medium-duty vehicles eligible for alternative drive systems over the next eight years, the number of hybrid-electric and electric trucks is set to grow almost 25 percent annually, the company maintained.
EDI PowerDrive kits are compatible with Class-6 step vans, box and work trucks, utility vehicles, and passenger shuttles, and include a high-efficiency drivetrain (EDI PowerDrive), vehicle control and telematics software (EDI PowerSuite), and the training and support infrastructure to enable fast time to market.
OEMs are able further customize vehicles with EDI’s Electric Power Export (Power2E) option, providing the capability to export a range of power directly from the vehicle for use in disaster recovery, jobsite maintenance, tool operation and other applications.
To accelerate market introductions, EDI also is available to install the powertrain systems and perform vehicle integration as a service for OEMs as they bring solutions to market.
The EDI PowerDrive system also includes control algorithms and embedded diagnostics for remote maintenance and monitoring. The unique, inline form factor allows the drivetrain to integrate seamlessly into most medium-duty vehicle designs. The EDI PowerDrive 6000ev drivetrain includes a base of 100-plus miles of all-electric driving, with the ability for OEMs to extend range as required by customers.