French-UK partnership seeks to crack electric-drive conundrum
Electric hub drive unit. (Photo: QinetiQ)
Hub drive technology combines electric propulsion with mechanical and regenerative braking in a compact package.
French axle and driveline manufacturer Texelis is partnering UK technology company QinetiQ to deliver in-wheel electric hub drive systems for armoured vehicles.
The strategic partnership, announced on 18 May, will see Texelis manufacture the hub drive technology at scale to meet market demands.
For its part, QinetiQ will bring core electrification technology and expertise.
Previous attempts at electric propulsion for wheeled military vehicles fell short where the direct drive of relatively large and inefficient motors was used, the two companies argued in a statement.
They added that their partnership would deliver a hub drive transmission where electrical machines are small-sized for the high-speed propulsion, ‘with all the advantages in terms of acceleration and agility, with the high torque demands for hill climb and obstacle crossing handled by the range-changing gearbox’.
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