“These powertrain solutions from our Blue Horizon product portfolio are engineered to fit multiple vehicle applications to meet customer needs now and in the future,” says John Bennett, vice president and chief technology officer, Meritor. “Meritor’s expanding range of next-generation technologies that include comprehensive solutions for standard axles, remote-mount configurations or fully electric powertrain systems furthers our goal of becoming the electric drivetrain supplier of choice.”
Meritor says the 12Xe powertrain’s modular design uses many of the same components as Meritor’s 14Xe full-electric powertrain now undergoing testing with fleets. Testing of the 12Xe powertrain starts next year, and production launch begins in 2021. The 12Xe powertrain expands Meritor’s electric solutions coverage into Class 4 and 5 applications and into Class 6 and 7 applications with wheels as small as 17.5 inches, without sacrificing ground clearance, the company says.
Additionally, Meritor notes vehicle manufacturers can choose from a range of wheel-ends, brakes, transmissions and differential gearing, all tailored to meet the vehicle’s duty-cycle. The electric motor can be scaled to specific vehicle requirements and delivers 150, 180 or 200 kilowatts of continuous power and 250 kilowatts of peak power. The 12Xe powertrain is available with several differential options, including differential lock and a limited slip differential.
Meritor also developed the 17Xe powertrain that will deliver 420 kilowatts of continuous power and 450 kilowatts of peak power, and packaged it to fit easily into the rails of 4×2 trucks. In Europe, applications include 44-ton heavy-duty long-haul trucks, medium-duty 27-ton refuse vehicles, 19.5- and 26.5-ton intercity buses and 26.5-ton coaches. It will also fit 40- and 60-foot city buses in North America.
Meritor says it new two- and three-speed dual countershaft transmission is optional on the 12Xe and 14Xe powertrains. The transmission, coupled with the right-sized motor, delivers improved vehicle performance compared to a single-speed or direct-drive system. Each variant of the transmission is built with compact gear range splits to deliver efficient and high-performing operation. The three-speed version extends the performance envelope over the two-speed version to deliver higher startability and top speed, the company says.
New axles introduced
Meritor also has released the MFS+ 14K front non-drive steer axle, the lightest 14,700-lb. front non-drive steer axle in North America for linehaul and vocational applications, and the 14X HE linehaul tandem drive axle.
Regarding the former, Meritor’s T.J. Reed, vice president of front drivetrain and electrification, says “With this new axle, we’re expanding our proven MFS+™ series axle architecture for the North America linehaul market to include vocational customers. This evolutionary front axle offers universal compatibility with braking systems.”
Meritor says the MFS+ 14K axle offers weight savings up to 68 lb. compared with the existing MFS 14K axle. Its low-profile design improves overall packaging to simplify integration into the chassis. The integrated torque plate and tie rod arm is built with fewer bolted joints, reducing maintenance costs. Brakes are mounted at 12 o’clock for easy removal. The axle also offers high-angle turning capacity up to 55 degrees and universal compatibility with braking systems.
Finally, the 14X HE linehaul tandem drive axle will help OEMs meet upcoming fuel-efficiency regulations, the company says.
“We’ve made the 14X HE axle even more efficient than it was when we launched it less than two years ago,” says James Taylor, vice president of Rear Drivetrain, NAFTA. “We’re also adding two new axle products, reinforcing our commitment to enhancing the portfolio with technologies focused on efficiency.”
The 14X HE axle, as well as the new RT160 HE axle for heavy-haul and vocational applications and the 17X HE axle for heavy-duty applications, are built with high-efficiency bearings, specialized gearing, fast ratios for downspeeding and the Meritor Lube Management System, the company says.
Meritor enhanced the 14X HE tandem axle by adding a second Meritor Lube Management System to the carrier of the forward axle. When the axle launched in 2017, only the carrier of the rear axle was equipped with the system. With the Meritor Lube Management system now on both axles, the 14X HE tandem axle will deliver more efficiency than the initial offering, the company says.
