With the auto industry increasingly moving away from the internal combustion engines (ICE), a vehicle innovation company has unveiled a new electric vehicle (EV) component that will help automakers transition towards all-electric more smoothly.
Developed by mobility tech firm Magna, the innovation consists of a pickup truck drivetrain, which makes it easy for carmakers to convert existing ICE pickup truck designs into EVs. The drivetrain is called eBeam and it enables automakers to electrify their trucks without compromising on utility and functionality.
By replacing the ICE drivetrain with the eBeam — integrating the technology into their body-on-frame trucks — automakers essentially update existing ICE vehicles into battery electric or hybrid powertrain vehicles. According to the company, the system is able to support even “high-payload vehicles.”
What’s particularly attractive about the innovative drivetrain is that it can be integrated with the existing architecture of pickup trucks, without requiring a new chassis, brake system, or suspension.
Overall, the entire purpose of the technology is to help automakers bring new electrified trucks to market more quickly and at a cheaper price. Plus, with trucks making up 20 percent of new vehicles sold in 2020 and automakers increasing their efforts to go electric, the EV drivetrain couldn’t come at a better time.
