Skip to content
BPW drive axle for vehicles with a gross weight of up to 7.5 tonnes with 6,580-nanometre torque at the rear axle and battery power of 84 kilowatt-hours
BPW drive axle for vehicles with a gross weight of up to 7.5 tonnes with 6,580-nanometre torque at the rear axle and battery power of 84 kilowatt-hours

Press release -

BPW uses BMW i battery technology for electric drive for lorries

  • BPW uses BMW i battery technology for particularly powerful electric drive for commercial vehicles
  • BPW drive axle for vehicles with a gross weight of up to 7.5 tonnes with 6,580-nanometre torque at the rear axle and battery power of 84 kilowatt-hours
  • Diesel out, BPW drive axle in – standard conversion from the beginning of 2019
  • BPW presents drive concept for 26-tonne commercial vehicles at the IAA

Munich/Wiehl, 20 September 2018 – BPW Bergische Achsen KG is announcing its partnership with BMW i for an electric drive system for commercial vehicles at the IAA. BPW will use battery technology from BMW i for its particularly powerful drive axle, which is designed for heavy vans and lorries with a gross weight of up to 7.5 tonnes. The drive will go into small series production in early 2019 for converting MB Varios used in municipal applications, for example. A drive concept for lorries with a gross weight of 26 tonnes is under development.

E-mobility will be one of the top topics at the IAA Commerical Vehicles in Hanover (20–27 September) – the major challenge here is, above all else, the high usable loads the vehicles must possess.

The BPW Group in Wiehl (North Rhine-Westphalia) is one of the world’s leading suppliers to the commercial vehicle industry; the company develops, produces and sells everything that moves, secures, illuminates and digitally connects transport vehicles. This is why, in the field of e-mobility, BPW Bergische Achsen KG has developed an electric axle that can power vehicles with a gross weight of up to 7.5 tonnes with a powerful 6,580 nanometres of torque at the rear axle, and can even be used to retrofit traditional vehicles. In this process, BPW couples two of the high-voltage lithium-ion systems used in the BMW i3 to produce a total capacity of 84 kilowatt-hours per vehicle. The battery management system including wiring, sensors as well as the heating and cooling system are supplied by BMW. Depending on the desired range, additional battery systems can be installed; BPW also offers various charging systems depending on the application and customer requirements.

The BPW drive axle with BMW i battery technology will go into series production for the first time in early 2019, with Paul Nutzfahrzeuge, European market leader for special vehicles, using it as the basis for its conversion of heavy vans and light lorries from diesel to electric drives. Because heavy components such as the diesel engine, transmission, cardan shaft and exhaust-cleaning system can be completely removed, the vehicle does not become any heavier. This will particularly allow municipalities to continue using the expensive special vehicles used by their utility companies, police departments and fire brigades emission-free and cost-effectively for many years to come. But logistics companies can also benefit from electric vehicles’ constant usable load.

According to Markus Schell, personally liable managing partner of BPW, ‘We are delighted that BMW i has contributed a tried-and-tested and reliable battery system to our high-performance axle-integrated drive concept. The drive axle not only makes it possible to integrate it into existing platforms, but also offers a weight-neutral replacement for conventional drives and thus maintains the maximum usable load.’

The BPW Group will be presenting the eTransport electric drive axle to the public at the IAA from 20 to 27 September (Hall 26, C31). Trade visitors can register for a test drive on the exhibition grounds: iaa@bpw.de

Topics

Categories


About BPW Bergische Achsen KG
BPW Bergische Achsen KG is the parent company of the BPW Group. With more than 1,600 employees, including around 120 trainees, the family-run company has been developing and producing complete running gear systems for truck trailers and semi-trailers at its headquarters in Wiehl since 1898. BPW’s technologies include axle systems, brake technology, suspension and bearings. BPW’s trailer axles and running gear systems are in use in millions of vehicles around the world. An extensive range of services also provides vehicle manufacturers and vehicle operators with the opportunity to increase economic efficiency in their production and transport processes. www.bpw.de/en


About the BPW Group
The BPW Group, based in Wiehl, Germany, is a dependable international mobility and system partner for the transport industry, serving as a one-stop shop for innovative solutions. Its portfolio embraces axles, suspension systems and brake technologies (BPW), locking systems and bodywork technology (Hestal), lighting systems (Ermax), composite technologies (HBN-Teknik), and user-friendly telematics applications for trucks and trailers (idem telematics). BPW Group’s technologies and services support manufacturers’ cost-effective workflows and enable vehicle operators to manage their fleets efficiently by maximising the transparency of loading and transport processes. The owner-managed BPW Group encompasses 70 companies worldwide and employs around 7,000 people. www.bpw.de/e

Contacts

Nadine Simon

Nadine Simon

Press contact Press Officer/Public Relations focus on: special axles; agricultural running gears; telematics; human ressources/training +49 (0) 2262 78-1909 Nadine Simon on LinkedIn
Robin Becker

Robin Becker

Press contact Press Officer/Public Relations focus on: 9t running gears; trailer components; e-solutions; digital solutions +49 (0) 2262 78-1905 Robin Becker on LinkedIn

Related content

Welcome to BPW Bergische Achsen KG!

About BPW Bergische Achsen Kommanditgesellschaft
BPW Bergische Achsen KG is the parent company of the BPW Group. With around 1,500 employees, including around 100 trainees, the family-run company has been developing and producing complete running gear systems for truck trailers and semi-trailers at its headquarters in Wiehl since 1898. BPW’s technologies include axle systems, brake technology, suspension and bearings. BPW’s trailer axles and running gear systems are in use in millions of vehicles around the world. An extensive range of services also provides vehicle manufacturers and vehicle operators with the opportunity to increase economic efficiency in their production and transport processes. www.bpw.de/en

About the BPW Group
The BPW Group researches, develops and manufactures everything needed to ensure that transport keeps moving and is safe, illuminated, intelligent and digitally connected. With its brands BPW, Ermax, HBN, HESTAL and idem telematics, the company group is a preferred system partner of the commercial vehicle industry around the globe for running gear, brakes, lighting, fasteners and superstructure technology, telematics and other key components for trucks, trailers and buses. The BPW Group offers comprehensive mobility services for transport businesses, ranging from a global service network to spare parts supply and intelligent networking of vehicles, drivers and freight. The owner-operated company group currently employs around 7,000 staff in 27 countries and achieved consolidated sales of 1.731 billion euros in 2022. www.bpw.de/en

BPW Bergische Achsen KG