Actuating hybrid and EV efficiency

More sophisticated driveline-disconnect systems are part of the electrified-vehicle future, says the head of controls at Stoneridge.

Axle-disconnect systems have been a fuel-efficiency enabler in recent years, delivering improvements of up to 10% in all-wheel drive and four-wheel-drive cars and light trucks, depending on vehicle application. Reducing driveline para-sitics by decoupling one set of drive wheels when they're not needed, pays overall efficiency benefits regardless of powertrain type. Electrified vehicles are expected be a significant growth opportunity for disconnect technologies such as actuators, explained Jim Zizelman, president of the Control Devices division at Stoneridge. The Novi, Michigan-based company develops control and sensing solutions for automotive, commercial and off-highway vehicles.

“Almost one third of our actuation business today is on hybrids and battery-electric vehicles [BEV],” he told Automotive Engineering. Actuators are typically unsung devices in the driveline space. They ensure the electro-mechanical “handshake” that swiftly links front- and rear-axle drive modules to the transmission and helps provide front/rear and wheel-to-wheel torque splits, depending on system configuration. Stoneridge actuators are used in a “broad array” of vehicles, said Zizelman, who joined the company in 2020 after more than 25 years in powertrain and electronics at Delphi and most recently Aptiv, where he was VP engineering.