Eaton establishes eMobility unit for hybrid, electric vehicles

Eaton's 4-speed transmission for electric vehicles is the sort of product the newly formed eMobility business will design and produce.

Southfield, Michigan – Power management company Eaton has created an eMobility business to address increasing demand for high-voltage electrified vehicle technologies. eMobility is poised to capitalize on a global vehicle electrification market projected to grow to 15 million pure battery-electric vehicles and another 30 million hybrids, from mild to plug-in, by 2030.

eMobility was formed by combining products, expertise, and global manufacturing capabilities from Eaton’s electrical and vehicle businesses. Eaton plans to invest more than $500 million during the next five years to develop new products and technologies, including smart diagnostic technologies, intelligent power electronics, and predictive health monitoring for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment.

The news follows Dana Inc.’s decision last week to buy a Canadian electric motor company to strengthen its electric vehicles offerings.

Eaton has more than 15 years of expertise in developing hybrid systems with more than 15,000 hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in HEV (PHEV) systems on the road in the U.S., Europe, China, and other Asia-Pacific markets. Eaton also has high-voltage, fast-acting fuses in nearly 50% of global electrified cars, and power electronics on a leading European battery-electric vehicle platform.

“Our understanding of the unique needs of vehicle customers, along with our experience in transmissions and power electronics in the hybrid space, gives us a distinct advantage versus other suppliers,” said Jeff Lowinger, president, eMobility. “Customers using Eaton hybrid systems have collectively accumulated an estimated 2 billion miles of clean, reliable service.”

eMobility focuses on three primary areas:

• Intelligent power electronics – Converters, on-board chargers
• Power systems – Electric vehicle (EV) transmissions for medium-, heavy-duty applications; 48V regenerative accessory drive system for heavy-duty trucks
• Advanced power distribution and circuit protection – Fuses, supercapacitors, power distribution units (PDUs)

Eaton’s existing line of electrified products – which includes DC/DC converters, PDUs, hybrid and battery-electric transmissions, and high-voltage fuses – serve as the foundation for eMobility to build additional growth as electrification increases.

Eaton projects its current electrified portfolio will account for approximately $300 million in revenue in 2018, and forecasts revenues of $2 billion to $4 billion by 2030.

eMobility is a global business headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, with design centers and manufacturing locations in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and today employs approximately 1,200 employees.