Dana Inc and Valeo have announced a global collaboration to develop and supply 48-volt electric-vehicle systems for new-mobility applications, including low-speed electric and hybrid e-AWD vehicles. The first system is scheduled to launch in early 2020 with a major European automaker on series-produced cars.  

The joint development will provide customers with complete electromechanical systems for three- and four-wheeled low-speed electric vehicles, as well as hybrid e-AWD applications for passenger cars and crossovers. The systems will be equipped with a Dana-designed Spicer Electrified e-Gearbox, and a Valeo-developed electric motor and inverter.  

The systems provide all the components required to electrify light (three- and four-wheeled) urban vehicles and hybridise vehicles weighing up to 2.5 tons. They comprise an electric motor and an inverter – which acts as the ‘brain’ of the electric vehicle by enabling it to generate voltage and alternating currents from a power source of a different voltage or frequency – designed and manufactured by Valeo, and a Spicer Electrified e-Gearbox developed by Dana.

Consistent, optimised and easy to install on all types of vehicles, the comprehensive solution resulting from Valeo and Dana’s partnership is especially attractive because its low voltage (<60V) configuration makes it affordable and low maintenance.

"Our collaboration with Valeo enables us to deliver a complete 48-volt electric vehicle e-Propulsion system that immediately meets the needs of customers," said Bob Pyle, president of Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies for Dana Incorporated.  "Dana continues to expand its offerings for hybrid and electric vehicles to offer a complete range of turn-key solutions for the rapidly changing mobility market." 

The Dana-Valeo 48-volt systems are comprehensive, low-maintenance, and affordable solutions that easily can be tailored for all types of low-speed electric and hybrid AWD vehicles. 

Xavier Dupont, president of Valeo's Powertrain Systems business group, commented: "Combining Dana's e-Gearbox mechanisms with Valeo's 48-volt systems, the end-to-end solutions developed through the partnership will contribute to the rise of affordable vehicle electrification. This undertaking strengthens Valeo's leading position in low-voltage electrification, a technology that will be featured in one-third of cars manufactured worldwide by 2030."