Dongfeng-DANA axle for light truck, heavy duty truck, bus and electric truck.

DDAC EP6: A first-of-a-kind electric-drive e-axle

EP6, the first of the Dongfeng DANA e-Drive axle products, is aimed at Class 3 vehicles. It could be used in a multipurpose-vehicle application with rating at 130 kW and weighting at 305 kg. EP6 is produced in Dongfeng DANA Axle Co. Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between US DANA and Dongfeng Motor, with 100% local content and are the result of five years of development work by the JV.

It is reported that EP6 is the first one electric axle combining an electric motor and rigid rear axle in a single streamlined module which is totally designed by US DANA team. Combining the motor with the axle is said to shave about 100 kg off the weight of more conventional battery-electric commercial-vehicle propulsion systems that generally rely on a large, centrally positioned motor and require a prop shaft to transfer power to the rear wheels.

The EP6 axle is designed to “drop in” to existing suspensions, making it easier to package within any commercial-vehicle architecture. The space freed up by the elimination of the prop shaft allows for installation of a bigger, longer-range battery if desired.

Normally, people will say that 305kg axle a big, heavy axle, but this replaces the entire engine, transmission, prop shaft and axle system and everything that supports it. That’s where a really significant mass savings happen.

The electrification trend in China started with buses, with the government basically heavily subsidizing city buses to be electrified. China overall is moving in the direction of electrification in the commercial-vehicle sector, particularly in the bus market.