Are we starting to see the signs of an “extinction-level event” as future vehicle innovation accelerates?

Bharat Forge Ltd. (India) made a strategic investment of approximately $12.9 million in Tevva Motors Ltd. (Chelmsford, U.K.), a supplier of electric powertrain solutions for commercial vehicles and buses. These vehicles actively and autonomously manage the use of the range extender by utilizing Tevva’s patented software, Predictive Range Extender Management System (PREMS), to ensure only electric drive is used in low carbon zones and other city centers. By virtue of this investment, Bharat Forge has also acquired a license for commercialization of the Tevva technology within India and for strengthening its R&D activities in the e-mobility market.

American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) will supply power transfer units (PTUs) for Ford Motor Co. crossover vehicles with all-wheel drive (AWD) starting with the 2019 Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus. The new contract expands AAM and Ford’s relationship while supporting global growth in the crossover segment. The PTU is part of AAM’s family of EcoTrac Disconnecting AWD solutions, which include disconnecting PTUs, multi-piece driveshafts, rear drive modules with electronic control units and torque transfer devices. AAM will manufacture EcoTrac in several facilities, including Three Rivers, Mich.; Guanajuato, Mexico; Changshu, China; and Świdnica, Poland. 

American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) and Liuzhou Wuling Automobile Industry Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Guangxi Automobile Group Co. Ltd., entered into a joint venture to manufacture driveline systems. The new venture, Liuzhou AAM Automotive Driveline System Co. Ltd., will begin production later this year in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in East Liuzhou in China’s Guangxi Province. Once production begins, the company will manufacture independent rear axles and driveheads to meet the needs of the fast-growing segments of multi-purpose vehicles and crossovers, including vans, minivans and SUVs.

Nikola Motor Company selected Buckeye, Ariz., for its hydrogen-electric semi-truck manufacturing facility. The $1 billion investment is expected to create 2,000 new jobs. The 1,000,000-square-foot zero-emission facility will be developed on a 500-acre parcel of land on the west side of Phoenix. Construction is projected to begin by the end of 2019.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) will invest more than $1 billion to modernize its Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Mich., to produce the next-generation Ram Heavy Duty truck, which will relocate from its current production location in Mexico in 2020. FCA will also create 2,500 jobs at the factory to support the increased volume.

Schuler, based in Göppingen, Germany, received a major order from a U.S. automotive supplier to supply a total of 15 presses, including automation, to plants in the U.S. and Mexico.

This article examines the weight-saving potential in using bimetallic or hollow components on heavy-duty vehicles and the obstacles to their production.