Commercial Vehicle eMobility – lubrication solutions
October 2022 © 2022. Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU). 10/22. The information in this bulletin is, to our best knowledge, sure and accurate, but all recommendations or suggestions are made without guarantee since the conditions of use are beyond our control. Afton Chemical Corporation and its affiliates disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of these data or suggestions. Furthermore, nothing contained herein shall be construed as a recommendation to use any product in conflict with existing patents covering any material or its use.
Commercial Vehicle eMobility –lubrication solutions
This is our final article in a series of three looking at eMobility and the accelerating Commercial Vehicle (CV) development, the challenges slowing this down, and the expected pace and direction of electrification. Highlighting how the latest dedicated Electric Vehicle (EV) lubricant technologies can help manage the divergent hardware designs that are emerging and maximise reliability and efficiency.
OEM investment in electrified CVs is proceeding quickly; while only a few models are in production so far, these are being closely followed by a range of prototypes and customer trials based on various forms of electrification.
Types of zero-emission HDVs (Heavy Duty Vehicles) expand, and driving range lengthens
Current and announced zero emissions commercial vehicle models by type, release date and range, 2019 - 2023
Notes: Electric HDVs data were provided by CALSTART from their Global Drive to Zero’s Zero Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI) database, which is regularly updated and offers a detailed glimpse of announced OEM production model timelines. ZETI data are meant to support fleet operators and policy makers and should not be construed as representative of the entire vehicle market. Inductive solutions are further from commercialisation and face challenges to deliver sufficient power to trucks operating at highway speeds.
Source: IEA (2022), Global EV Outlook 2022, IEA, Paris www.iea.org/ reports/global-ev-outlook-2022/trends-in-electric-heavy-duty-vehicles Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. All rights reserved.
Commercial vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, with a diverse set of tasks and drive cycles. With such a broad range of applications to cover, electrified drivetrain configurations for CVs are already more varied and complex than for passenger cars. This has implications for the selection of ECV (Electric Commercial Vehicle) lubricants.
Hybrids already have clear SAE definitions for P0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 layouts, however EV layout descriptions are not standardised. Many variants are being explored, developed and evaluated for BECVs and the final layout will depend on many factors, most importantly vehicle usage and efficiency. Interim considerations, such as the ease of integration into existing vehicle architecture and supply chains, may also influence the choice of many OEMs.
© 2022. Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU). 10/22. The information in this bulletin is, to our best knowledge, sure and accurate, but all recommendations or suggestions are made without guarantee since the conditions of use are beyond our control. Afton Chemical Corporation and its affiliates disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of these data or suggestions. Furthermore, nothing contained herein shall be construed as a recommendation to use any product in conflict with existing patents covering any material or its use.
2
Commercial Vehicle eMobility –lubrication solutions
Potential hybrid and electric vehicle layouts
EV layouts 1 and 2 are attractive for many existing OEMs with a manufacturing footprint and supply chain because the electrical system drops into a conventional layout. P4 variant hybrids may also be of interest en-route to full electric drive as two separate systems effectively drive different wheels, connected only by the road and control systems.
However, the final destination for ECVs is likely to be closer to EV layout 3 (like many passenger cars) and EV layout 4. These options place the motor in the same axis as the wheels, with either an eMotor and differential combined in an eAxle, or separate drive motors for each wheel.
OEMs will need different solutions at different times and territories to meet legislation in local markets. A mix of these layouts fitting their overall strategy for the energy transition will be required.
Future-proof electrified Commercial Vehicle (eCV) lubricants
Afton is already collaborating closely with OEMs to determine how new lubricant technology can best support the latest hardware, whatever development routes might be pursued.
Considerations such as combined or separate sumps and lubricants, for eMotors that are cooled directly or indirectly, are being taken into account for future-proofing lubrication and enabling new hardware.
Efficiency remains a prime focus for all OEMs, but particularly for CV manufacturers: all options for improved efficiency and reliability are being scrutinised to bring down initial vehicle cost with electrification.
© 2022. Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU). 10/22. The information in this bulletin is, to our best knowledge, sure and accurate, but all recommendations or suggestions are made without guarantee since the conditions of use are beyond our control. Afton Chemical Corporation and its affiliates disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of these data or suggestions. Furthermore, nothing contained herein shall be construed as a recommendation to use any product in conflict with existing patents covering any material or its use.
3
ICE Generator eAxle ICE AMT eAxle Axle ICE AMT Axle ICE AMT Axle Conventional Parallel hybrids P4 Variant Series Hybrid P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 PS Powersplit Offers hybridisation with degrees of complexity P0 for 48V and P2 for full hybrid are common P4 variant allows bolt-on hybrids with EV hardware Series hybrid works in bus and big mining applications reducer differential eMotor eMotor / reducer integration eMotor reducer eMotor reducer EV Layout 1 eMotor AMT reducer differential EV Layout 2 EV Layout 3 EV Layout 4 Easy to develop with traditional truck layout Multi-speed likely with heavier vehicles eAxles are efficient and simpler once developed (3) – popular. Wheel motors (e.g. Tesla) are compact, but difficult to develop. Hub motors are a further niche variant. Wheel hub motors EV Layout 5 Wheel hub motors
Commercial Vehicle eMobility –lubrication solutions
Driving efficiency
The ability of dedicated electrified transmission fluid (ETF) to drive efficiency gains is already well documented. This both via enhanced cooling of the eMotor and improved mechanical efficiency. These gains may be used either to increase power output and performance or to deliver cost savings by allowing a reduction in battery size.
Learnings from passenger car electrification suggest that direct cooling for eMotors and multispeed eAxle solutions are likely to be adopted much earlier along the eCV development timeline because the share of battery cost in a vehicle is so large. In many cases cooling will be managed by the ETF, although in others specialised eMotor coolants may be used instead.
Other technical advances are imminent, so Afton is staying ahead through relevant research and partnerships. Immersion-cooled battery modules and direct-cooled charging stations that can support the higher power outputs and fast charging demanded by eCV applications are already on the horizon.
CV-specific work to understand EVs at CV scale and their specific needs is a topic of current research. This will help to understand how to transfer learning to real world performance.
Lubricant strategy
For many years yet, eCV will be primarily an OEM business and will be informed by developments in passenger car lubricants. Whichever electrification solutions are pursued beyond 2030, long-term equipment reliability – often with extended drain intervals – will be a crucial feature that advanced lubricant technology will have to deliver.
Afton continues collaborating with OEMs to develop technology for all eCV applications including ETF and eMotor coolants. The intent is to build-in flexibility, by working with oil company partners to maximise advanced base oils that will help to future-proof eCV lubrication.
In turn, TCO-focused CV operators will benefit from the combination of improved efficiency and reduced downtime, gaining value that far outweighs the cost of the latest high performance e-fluids.
While the hardware decisions and oil specifications being determined by OEMs now will not significantly impact the service fluid market until after mass adoption of eCVs, now is the time to prepare: a mutual focus on efficiency will deliver benefits for all participants at every stage of this journey.
Afton is committed to deliver short-term performance needs by offering technology to help our customer develop and market products that improve fuel economy. Whilst eCV continues to eVolve, Afton continues to ensure that our technology is also moving into the efficient future!
© 2022. Afton Chemical Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE:NEU). 10/22. The information in this bulletin is, to our best knowledge, sure and accurate, but all recommendations or suggestions are made without guarantee since the conditions of use are beyond our control. Afton Chemical Corporation and its affiliates disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of these data or suggestions. Furthermore, nothing contained herein shall be construed as a recommendation to use any product in conflict with existing patents covering any material or its use.
4
