May 13, 2009 The Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS) opens in Norway today and will see the official unveiling of a novel multi-speed electric vehicle gearbox by transmission specialist Vocis. Simulations show that a two-speed configuration could reduce the battery energy consumed by 5-10 percent over the industry-standard New European Drive Cycle, without any significant increase in overall cost or packaging volume, as well as extending battery life and providing the potential to substantially downsize the powertrain and battery pack.
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“This is not the first two-speed EV transmission concept, but it is the first that overcomes the issues that have so far prevented their successful introduction,” says Vocis managing director Mike Everitt. “Fundamental benefits of our technology are zero torque interruption during shifts, very low additional losses compared with a single speed transmission, scaleability to any practical number of ratios, and mechanical robustness through the use of technologies that have all been proven in other applications.”
