USA — Electric propulsion systems company, BAE Systems Inc of Endicott, New York, at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2023 in Anaheim, California, announced it is collaborating with Eaton Corporation of Maumee, Ohio, to develop electric vehicle (EV) technology solutions. Through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the companies announced they plan initially to offer a solution for the medium-duty commercial truck market, with a Class-7 pickup and delivery demonstration vehicle in development.

As part of the collaboration, BAE Systems states it will incorporate its power-dense electric motor and advanced silicon carbide/gallium nitride power electronics suite (see BAE Systems - GEN3 - Modular Power & Control Systems (mPCS) PDF attached)  with Eaton’s proven medium-duty four-speed (4-speed) EV transmission (MD 4-speed EV Transmission is specifically designed for EV applications) to provide a comprehensive electric vehicle system for a variety of medium-duty vehicles. The partners stated they will provide original equipment manufacturers with a durable, high performance, compact, efficient, and optimized system with flexibility to work with multiple zero-emission platforms.

Steve Trichka, vice president and general manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems, said:

Our complementary strengths and industry knowledge in providing clean transportation solutions will address a critical need for new, clean technology options for the global truck market. Together, BAE Systems and Eaton will enable electric drive systems that are efficient, modular, and scalable for our customers.

Mark Kramer, business unit director, ePowertrain, Eaton’s Vehicle Group, commenting further on this collaboration, said:

Eaton is delighted to collaborate with BAE Systems to provide more electrified powertrain solutions to our commercial vehicle customers. Our medium duty 4-speed EV transmissions are proven in the industry to offer class-leading performance through superior acceleration and gradeability, while delivering advanced efficiency for the EV system.

Both companies have significant experience in the electrification of commercial vehicles: BAE Systems has more than two decades of experience developing and integrating electric propulsion systems in battery electric, fuel cell, and hybrid electric vehicles (notably for more than 25 years in the heavy-duty transit industry) and Eaton has extensive expertise in manufacturing transmissions for many different transport applications.