Equipment specialist, SAF-Holland, and French manufacturing company, LOHR Industrie, have agreed to partner on electric trailer axles.
Jointly developed electric trailer axle, AXEAL (ACLe Elecronic Assist Lohr) works independently from the prime mover’s main drive and regenerates energy during acceleration and braking, and is reportedly 15 per cent more fuel efficient.
The central mechanical system of the e-axle includes a differential, a reduction gear and a power take-off unit that can be coupled when altered to drive a peripheral system such as a hydraulic pump. The electric motor, when not in use, can be disconnected from the transmission to drive peripheral systems.
SAF-Holland’s contribution to the overall system will be the SAF TRAKe. The use of this trailer axle allows vehicle transporters to load and unload in urban areas at night. As a result, the truck and trailer combination overall must meet all legal requirements for noise and exhaust emissions.
The first semi-trailers for the transport of passenger cars were equipped with this new application in the first quarter of 2019 for test purposes. In the weeks to follow, the first LOHR customer vehicles equipped with AXEAL will be delivered to US company, Virginia Transport, and South African company, KDG Logistics. The findings gathered during actual operation will be directly incorporated into further development. LOHR will also be adding AXEAL to its product portfolio for vehicle transporters starting in the second half of 2019.
“This cooperation is an excellent example of a targeted exchange of know-how while at the same time representing a milestone in the use of our TRAKe electric trailer axle in series,” said SAF-Holland CEO, Alexander Geis.
“We are simultaneously committed to helping reduce the total cost of ownership and helping our customers comply with ever more stringent noise and emissions restrictions,” he said.
The cooperation is initially set up for 10 years and includes an extension clause. The worldwide distribution rights of the AXEAL system are held by SAF-Holland.
“SAF-Holland is the ideal partner for the global marketing of this system due to its international presence and expertise in the development of electromobility solutions,” said LOHR Industrie CEO, Christian Fity.
LOHR is a private French group established in Alsace near Strasbourg. For more than 50 years it has been a global specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of goods transport systems.
(Main image L-R: LOHR Industrie CEO, Christian Fity and SAF-Holland CEO, Alexander Geis.)