Global technical equipment, drive and braking systems manufacturer Voith presented its solutions for the mobility shift in commercial vehicles at the IAA Transportation Expo held in Hannover, Germany, from September 20 to 25 last year.

The solutions include Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS), which are drive concepts optimally designed for the operation of buses and heavy-duty trucks, as well as its plug and drive H2 storage system, which is a modular overall system for heavy-duty commercial vehicles with hydrogen drives.

The company says it is further expanding its expertise in the e-mobility sector for commercial vehicles.

“Alternative, sustainable drives are defining the discourse of the present and the technologies of the future,” says Voith Turbo Mobility executive VP and CEO Martin Wawra.

He adds that even today, the result is an unprecedented variety of drive solutions.

“We are fulfilling these client demands with a portfolio geared towards alternative drives.”

Since its introduction in 2019, Voith has continued to develop the electric drive concept, gaining a footing in ever more commercial vehicle segments.

For buses, the portfolio consists of the heavy duty (HD) variant, which is particularly suitable for double-decker and articulated buses with its 340 kW Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor.

In addition, Voith offers a medium duty (MD) variant with an output of 260 kW, which is optimised specifically for solo buses and exclusively inner-city uses.

Clients globally appreciate the outstanding efficiency of this system, which was recently confirmed by the independent UTAC institute.

With an efficiency level of 0.69 kWh/km, the Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner is the most efficient e-double-decker in the world, the success of which the VEDS plays a significant role in.

The concept supports battery systems from a wide range of manufacturers and is also enabled for use in fuel cell electric vehicle drivetrains.

Owing to its compact design, the VEDS requires no additional installation space in chassis designed for combustion engines.

It is therefore easy to convert existing vehicle fleets with conventional diesel, hybrid or gas drives.

With the VEDS HD+, the company is also introducing its first drive concept for heavy-duty trucks.

Special configurations for waste collection vehicles, inner-city logistics or long-distance transport applications ensure efficient driving with every use.

The core of the system is a new innovative automated four-gear electric transmission.

The transmission makes optimal traction available for every driving situation and under any load condition.

Equally, it ensures that the electric motor is always operated at optimum efficiency.

For the drive system of the VEDS HD+, clients can choose between two Evo-named electric motors with top outputs of 330 kW and 390 kW respectively.

The VEDS HD, VEDS MD and VEDS HD+ meet the requirements of ISO 26262 – for Automotive Functional Safety standards – and the new requirements of Automotive Cyber Security, or ISO 21434.

The internationally applicable standard protects the vehicle against external manipulations and ensures its functionality – by preventing unauthorised access to electronically controlled driving and braking systems, for example.

Storage System

The Plug & Drive H2 storage system is a complete system from one source which reflects Voith’s expertise.

In line with its holistic approach, clients receive everything from a single source, from the tank nozzle to the fuel cell inlet, including a patented installation system to accommodate the H2 tanks.

Voith uses pre-impregnated fibres, so-called TowPregs, as material for the tanks, which Voith manufactures itself.

The production uses a special winding process that enables optimised winding layers, which enables higher storage amounts of H2 without any compromises in terms of safety, even with high pressures in the tank.

Here Voith focuses on 700 bar technology to ensure long ranges even with limited installation spaces.

Combined with short refuelling times – it takes about ten minutes for full refuelling – this results in greater economic efficiency for the operator, compared to conventional systems.

The Plug & Drive H2 storage system is primarily designed for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, construction vehicles and similar applications, where the use of battery-electric concepts does not make sense from an economic or technical perspective.

Voith also ensures sustainability and recyclability throughout the entire lifecycle.