A world leader in magnetic gear technologies, Magnomatics has secured £1.26m of government funding as part of a £1.92m project to bring zero emission vehicle technology to the UK’s towns and cities. Magnomatics is one of 20 companies that set out plans for innovative ways to reduce or eliminate vehicle emissions in the freight industry, which accounts for around a third of the UK’s CO2 transport emmissions.
Unveiled at the Sustainable Road Transport Conference in London in January 2017, the £20m project aims to reduce pollution as well as improve air quality, and will see vans go electric and lorries running as hybrids or on hydrogen dual-fuel.
The funding – delivered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and Innovate UK – aims to help fleets get their new vehicles onto the roads from the middle of 2017.
In a year-long trial, two 18T DAF trucks operated by Calor will be fitted with Magnomatics’ innovative MAGSPLIT transmission, which integrates a magnetic planetary gear and a control motor/generator to enable more efficient and compact plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrains.
The component has reportedly already shown high efficiency and robustness, demonstrating the potential to reduce CO2emissions by a million tonnes per annum by 2025.
Magnomatics will design, build and test the MAGSPLIT device and electrical traction subsystem, then transmission manufacturer, Hewland, will design and make the MAGSPLIT transmissions.
Avid Technology will convert, commission and deliver the vehicles, including electrified ancilliaries, to enable the vehicles to run in electric mode with zero emission capability. Vehicle Integration support will be provided by Leyland Trucks who design and manufacture the DAF LF range of vehicles.
CEO of Magnomatics, David Latimer commented: “This trial will verify the technology, business case and emissions benefits to the consortium, which represents end users and suppliers capable of delivering Magnomatics’ high value powertrain to market from a UK manufacturing base.”
