American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM), a Tier-1 supplier of driveline and drivetrain systems for the automotive industry, announced the formation of a joint venture with Saab Automobile AB of Sweden. The new company, e-AAM Driveline Systems AB (e-AAM), will engineer, develop and commercialize electric all-wheel-drive and hybrid driveline systems for passenger cars and crossover vehicles. The joint venture, which will be majority controlled by AAM, commenced operations on Oct. 1. e-AAM systems will be designed to improve fuel efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions and provide all-wheel-drive capability utilizing torque vectoring for vehicle stability.

The corporate headquarters of e-AAM will be in Trollhattan, Sweden. The next generation of Saab vehicles will feature e-AAM systems beginning in 2012. In addition, e-AAM will be showcasing its expertise and advanced products to other global OEMs. The joint venture will leverage existing Saab and AAM technology, engineering facilities, laboratories and testing equipment to expedite development time.