Southfield, MI – The transportation industry is currently in hot pursuit of an answer: How do we respond immediately to the urgent demand for new technology for electric vehicles (EV)? Amsted Automotive Group (AAG) and its companies are responding now to the need for EV propulsion systems optimized for function, range, and cost. AAG has driven the EV market with its advancements, including a Novel Multi-Functional Clutch Technology that can be found in current production pickup trucks. Their innovative Dynamic Controllable Clutch (DCC) and Electro-Mechanical E-axle Disconnect System improves the efficiency of electric all-wheel drive (eAWD) vehicles.
A new white paper called “Novel Multi-Functional Clutch Technology for Seamless EV Driveline Disconnect and Improved Efficiency” further details these innovations from Amsted Automotive and is available to download at AmstedAuto.com. The white paper annotates the evolution of the clutch technology and highlights the differences between AWD and EV AWD powertrains, and how to address those related challenges. With these tangible solutions, automakers can profitably meet the growing demand of the EV market.
With this transition to EV powertrains comes the opportunity for automakers to rethink traditional AWD architecture. Without the need to physically connect the front and rear drive axles, parasitic losses can be significantly reduced, and packaging issue are simplified. Means Industries, an Amsted Automotive company, developed Novel Multi-Functional Clutch Technology. This is a controllable disconnect clutch and actuation technology with full disconnect and locking functions, with additional functionality for controlled bi-directional oneway-clutch operation. This enables eAWDs to quickly and reliably shift between disconnected, forward propulsion, and regen or reverse modes. An EV can realize up to 10% efficiency gains simply, as well as eliminate the possibility of blocked or rejected shifts.
About Amsted Automotive Group
In 2021, Amsted Automotive Group brought together Means Industries Inc., SMW Manufacturing, and Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., Inc. to form a new and innovative technology team. The integration provides an expanded global presence with 21 facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia to serve the global automotive customer base with a robust manufacturing footprint, producing over 100 million components and assemblies annually. The group combines design and engineering expertise, strategically aligned to be a nimble leader in advanced metalforming and powder metal manufacturing with electro-mechanical clutch design capabilities for electrified propulsion solutions and builds on Amsted Automotive Group’s integral role in global advanced automatic transmissions designed in North America, Europe, and Asia.