GKN Wants Compact Car Makers to Demand More From Their Rear Axles

by Steph Willems

Published: March 14th, 2016

gkn wants compact car makers to demand more from their rear axles

Front-wheel drive, four-cylinder cars have defined the automotive C-segment for decades, but maybe these automakers aren’t dreaming big enough.

That’s the message being sent by global technology supplier GKN Automotive, which really, really wants automakers to buy a lower-cost version of its eAxle for use in affordable compacts. GKN says the unit would allow the segment to more easily offer electric all-wheel drive and plug-in capability.

Developed by the GKN Driveline division, a high-end version of the eAxle exists in the BMW i8, Porsche 918 and Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in.

By putting electric power to the rear wheels of a normally front-drive vehicle, GKN claims their downsized eAxle module would shorten 0-60 miles per hour acceleration times by several seconds, while making a fully-electric driving mode possible. Emissions and fuel consumption could also be reduced significantly.

“GKN leads the industry in eAxle technology, and we want to make plug-in hybrids a simple upgrade for consumers and manufacturers,” stated GKN Automotive President of Engineering Peter Moelgg in a release.

“Innovations by our hardware and software engineers will place the performance and efficiency benefits of plug-ins within the reach of many more motorists.”

The new eAxle weighs 46 pounds, and is able to provide an additional 88 horsepower to the rear wheels of a compatible vehicle. An electromechanically actuated dog clutch would disconnect the electric motor above a certain speed, allowing the conventional engine to power the car via the front axle.

With a 9.3 kWh battery and 81-horsepower electric motor connected to its eAxle, a Volvo XC90 (which weighs at least 1,500 pounds more than your average compact) claims an electric range of about 15 miles.

Are we on the verge of seeing a Honda Civic plug-in? An all-wheel-drive Hyundai Elantra? Will Subaru end up looking like an environment-destroying dinosaur?

As with everything else, that’s for the automakers’ bean counters to decide.

[Image: GKN Automotive]

#2-modeHybrid #All-wheelControl #BMW #C-segment #Emissions #Environment #GKN #Green #HybridVehicles #Porsche #Volvo #Technology

Steph Willems

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2 of 39 comments

Jebby on Mar 15, 2016

My 2006 Highlander Hybrid approves of this message.

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Nickoo on Mar 15, 2016

About darn time. Never made sense to me to package the hybrid drive motor on the front axle rather than the rear.

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Recent Comments

Sayahh I do not know how my car will respond to the trolley problem, but I will be held liable whatever it chooses to do or not do. When technology has reached Star Trek's Data's level of intelligence, I will trust it, so long as it has a moral/ethic/empathy chip/subroutine; I would not trust his brother Lore driving/controlling my car. Until then, I will drive it myself until I no longer can, at which time I will call a friend, a cab or a ride-share service.
Daniel J Cx-5 lol. It's why we have one. I love hybrids but the engine in the RAV4 is just loud and obnoxious when it fires up.
Oberkanone CX-5 diesel.
Oberkanone Autonomous cars are afraid of us.
Theflyersfan I always thought this gen XC90 could be compared to Mercedes' first-gen M-class. Everyone in every suburban family in every moderate-upper-class neighborhood got one and they were both a dumpster fire of quality. It's looking like Volvo finally worked out the quality issues, but that was a bad launch. And now I shall sound like every car site commenter over the last 25 years and say that Volvo all but killed their excellent line of wagons and replaced them with unreliable, overweight wagons on stilts just so some "I'll be famous on TikTok someday" mom won't be seen in a wagon or minivan dropping the rug rats off at school.