Automakers are exploring many solutions for electrifying the
sort of trucks that Americans
can't get enough of. In terms of conventional manufacturers, Ford is arguably
out in front. Credit the already available Ford
F-150 PowerBoost gasoline-electric hybrid pickup, as well as the
upcoming F-150 electric. Heck, even Ram's
eTorque "mild
hybrid" system is a fuel-saving step in the right direction. Upstarts like Bollinger, Lordstown, Rivian, and now Canoo want a
piece of the pie, too, but aren't reliant on "legacy" truck
platforms. But for more traditional pickups, like the sort already running
around your town as work or lifestyle vehicles, Magna has an interim solution
called eBeam.
We're
talking about an application for trucks with a traditional ladder-frame chassis
and live rear axle. The eBeam drops right in, in theory, utilizing all the
original mounts, suspension, and so forth. But there wouldn't be an input for
the driveshaft, as the eBeam is an integrated e-motor axle that comes in 120-
and 250-kW power ranges. Magna says one- and two-motor versions are in
development, with the two-motor version offering torque vectoring across the
axle. The single-motor version presumably incorporates a differential, taking
the place of a conventional truck's "pumpkin."
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