In early 2023, a new name was introduced to the commercial vehicle industry: “Accelera by Cummins”. It was the result of eight separate acquisitions made by parent company Cummins Inc over a period of as many years, all of them connected, albeit in different ways, to zero-emission technology. Naturally, Cummins wished to differentiate its new purchases from its ongoing engine business, and it is not the only legacy manufacturer to attempt a rebrand for its electric vehicle products (a la General Motors’ “Brightdrop” and Shyft Group’s “Blue Arc”). But it also aims to weld its acquisitions together into a single, cohesive unit capable of delivering “end-to-end electric solutions”. Molly Hale – who is the marketing communications manager for Accelera – explained: “There was this belief that we needed to have an identity all our own, to go to the market and explain the depth of the commitment and the depth of the investments in these technologies.”

AXN Heavy Duty, which was established 16 years ago in 2008, sells axles and suspension systems for the truck, trailer and bus segment in North America.

According to the terms of the contract, MAN will supply New Flyer with “several thousand” ‘V0K-08’ front axles and ‘HY-1350’ rear axles which, together with accompanying spare parts, are worth more than USD200m.

The Gaggenau plant manufactures axle and transmission components, such as shafts, gear wheels, and housings which are then sent to the Kassel plant, where the components are assembled into complete electric axles. Gaggenau also produces structural parts for the truck’s cab.

Known for its supply of brake pads and linings to both the aftermarket and OE markets for more than 30 years, the company plans to ramp up the supply of brake discs and heavy-duty shock absorbers in North America.

Schmitz began production of its own axles at the Altenberge plant in 2004: since then, it has manufactured 2 million of them, installing them on trailers made in Altenberge or shipping them to its other trailer plants in Europe and Turkey.

At IAA Transportation 2024, held between 17-22 September in Hanover, Germany, Brazilian trailer and components firm Randoncorp presented products from its auto parts brands, including wheel-end components from Castertech, brake systems from Master Freios (a joint venture with Cummins), and axles, suspensions, and e-mobility products from Suspensys. However, the group’s most interesting showcase was invisible to the naked eye. In its axle products lay hidden a secret ingredient measurable only on the nanoscale: a niobium compound, which has the power to augment the mechanical properties of steel while considerably reducing its weight. It also improves the performance of other materials, enabling them to achieve their full potential.

TIP is trialling an electric regen axle system – developed jointly by Thermo King Europe and BPW – with a refrigerated semi-trailer in Britain.

During a press conference at the show, Güriş said that Parsan is now working with AVL to adapt the e-axle for series production.

This variant has been tailored for demanding heavy-duty applications like logging, construction and heavy-haul operations. The design improves stability, weight distribution and control aiding in driver comfort, performance and safety.

Allison launched the eGen Power 85S for the electric truck market, the latest addition to its range of fully electric CV axles. Furthermore, the company introduced its new 9-speed fully automatic transmission, designed for commercial vehicles operating in stop-and-go conditions, offering improved fuel economy, enhanced performance, and lower maintenance costs.

The agreement, which was signed at the end of July, is aimed at expanding its business within China’s electric drive axle market.