The company's Sales and Marketing VP, Magnus Rydell, tells us about the product and the company's plans. Put simply, the company in Trollhättan is developing a rear axle that is driven by an electric motor. This will provide a front-wheel drive automobile with four-wheel drive along with a number of other useful characteristics. During deceleration, the rear axle's electric motor generates electricity which is stored in a battery and used again when accelerating. This results in a fuel savings of 15-30 percent depending on the traffic situation. The rear axle is also able to help stabilize a vehicle during undesirable sideways movement by applying different wheel speeds to the left and right wheels. If a larger battery is installed the vehicle can function as a hybrid and be driven solely by the electric motor as long as there is a charge in the battery. Then the regular engine takes over. Many sensors and advanced software were necessary to get everything running safely and stably.
The invention appears to be ingeniously simple. An everyday front-wheel drive auto can reduce its fuel consumption, act like a hybrid, gain an advanced stabilization system and become a four-wheel drive vehicle into the bargain. Today, four-wheel drive is used mainly to ensure accessibility but with a high cost disadvantage, pretty complex mechanical systems and fuel consumption that increases by 10 percent or more. The electrically driven rear axle provides four-wheel drive without the mechanical system's disadvantages, and also adds a number of positive characteristics and capabilities.
e-AAM in Trollhättan is growing rapidly and increasing the number of employees. Development efforts are proceeding apace and prototype production has begun, as have deliveries to customers. All of the prestige automakers are interested in the new system and are testing prototypes in preparation for installation in future models. eAAm plans to start production in 2013 at the parent company's new factory in Poland. Initial volume will be 120,000 units per year.
Magnus tells us that the Trollhättan development unit has its origins in Saab's responsibility for GM's four-wheel drive R&D, and when GM sold Saab this particular Saab unit was able to form a new company with new owners. The crew from Saab had a lot of expertise and were able to get started quickly. I asked Magnus about the risk of piracy, and the risks involved in having the R&D and production units so far apart. Magnus was quite clear in stating that although it may be possible to pirate the mechanical components, the major software development will be difficult to copy. It's a complex, demanding process that's not easy to duplicate and one that is also unique to each car model. The fact that manufacturing is located in Poland does not present a problem, since prototype manufacture and software development are both located in Trollhättan. The purely mechanical parts of production are so automated that in principal they can be located anywhere.
Magnus tells us that as a supplier of newly developed systems the company has to exceed expectations, although the parent company's reputation is an asset. Over the long term the company foresees an opportunity to deliver to electric cars pure and simple, so demand seems assured for a long time ahead.
Gothenburg, September, 2011
Hans Nyman, Automotive Sweden
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