Hendrickson reveals new medium-duty e-axle
Key takeaways
- Hendrickson enters e-axle market with Electraax targeting Class 6-7 last-mile and school bus use.
- Integrated design delivers up to 94% efficiency with full regenerative braking for stop-and-go operations.
- Flexible, OEM-focused axle design enables customization, with production readiness targeted by 2027.
LAS VEGAS—Hendrickson has unveiled its very first electric drive axle at ACT Expo: an e-axle for medium-duty applications called Electraax.
Targeted toward OEMs, the Electraax features an integrated electric powertrain for Class 6-7 school bus and medium-duty truck applications, such as last-mile delivery. The e-axle combines the axle, single-speed gearbox, motor, and inverter into one system.
“It’s scalable up to 23,000 pounds but applicable, really, for those heavy, stop-and-go applications,” Jeff Zawacki, VP of Hendrickson’s Advanced Technology Group, told FleetOwner.
Electraax specs:
- Continuous power range: 200 kW
- Peak power: 320 kW
- Peak torque: 18,050 Nm
- Peak torque duration: Up to 30 seconds
- Motor torque regeneration: Up to 100%
- High voltage range: 400 – 850 volts
- Gross axle weight rating: Up to 23,000 lb.
The axle is developed in collaboration with Driventic, a drive technology company. Driventic provides the motor and inverter that power the e-axle, while Hendrickson takes care of the rest.
How Electraax is designed to boost efficiency
Hendrickson also boasts significant design advantages specific to electric vehicle efficiency:
- Full motor torque regenerative braking to maximize energy recovery.
- A single-speed gearbox design, lighter and more efficient than multispeed gearboxes.
- Up to 94% system-level efficiency.
Variable axle design allows for several configurations
Electraax uses fabricated components in place of cast or forged components, enabling custom configurations that benefit OEMs. The e-axle can be built with varying track width, gear train, suspension, and brake options according to a vehicle’s needs.
“We can make it applicable to any different vehicle configuration that we need, any different brake configuration that we need,” Zawacki said. “It integrates all of Hendrickson’s capabilities: our fabrication capabilities, our wheel-end structural technologies—all that together.”
Hendrickson’s first foray into e-axles
Hendrickson already makes front steer axles, liftable axles, auxiliary lift axles, 6x2 dead axles—but never a driven e-axle until now.
“We thought, what better way to get into the driven axle market than with a totally unique product offering through the EV market?” Zawacki said. “This is a place to start … When you look at the EV market in total, Class 8 is still a long way off. It’s happening, but very slowly. The adoption is in the final mile, stop and go—and, we think, in school bus.”
Hendrickson estimates the axle will be production-ready by the end of 2027, targeted towards OEMs. Zawacki said that the supplier is already in undisclosed talks with OEMs about the product.
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About the Author
Jeremy WolfeJeremy Wolfe
Editor
Editor Jeremy Wolfe joined the FleetOwner team in February 2024. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with majors in English and Philosophy. He previously served as Editor for Endeavor Business Media's Water Group publications.