Our aim was to build the system using off-the-shelf
components, to ensure price competitiveness and to
show what could be done with existing technolo-gy.
The chassis offers up to 70 kW power (760 V –
140 kWh), for traction options that range up to
50 kW, as well as hydraulic power and optional
pneumatic power. It includes three battery systems
for power, control, and safety, alongside inverters
for DCDC, traction and hydraulics.
N O . 1 2 0 2 2
CONTROL-BY-WIRE FOR VERSATILITY
It’s in what goes on above the chassis that the AVL e-tractor concept really
comes to life. In order to off-set the TCO, it is designed to be used with a
variety of different cabin and control concepts. Where multiple off-road
or agricultural vehicles might be currently required, the e-tractor concept
is designed to use just one vehicle, with interchangeable cab modules. This
reduces overall cost of ownership by minimizing the number of vehicles
required by the end user, while also delivering a high level of versatility.
A conventional tractor cab, for example, can be used with existing farm ma-chinery
and peripherals. This could then be swapped for a tipper or a snow
plough, for example. And the potential for this platform doesn’t stop there.
However, it’s underneath the cab where the concept really proves itself. As
the chassis features steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire, it also offers the possi-bility
to integrate connected and autonomous functionality, as well as other
next-level technologies. Farming applications are already starting to see these
sorts of technologies becoming ubiquitous, and the e-tractor concept can be
used to enhance off-road productivity even further, replacing the on-board
human driver with autonomous systems for both on and off-road use, and
for increasing the productivity of agricultural applications, for example.
The potential to add fuel-cell range extenders drives the ROI even further.
THE POWER OF “WHAT IF?”
Ultimately, this proof-of-concept platform is a launchpad for imagination.
It turns the challenges of zero-emission and e-mobility into opportunities,
by breaking down limitations and asking the industry to explore at the far
edges of today’s technology.
With the e-tractor we have proved that the future of the off-road com-mercial
sector does not need to be defined by the obstacles it currently
faces. Anything is now possible, and at AVL we are making that a reality
for our customers.
With global emission legisla-tion
and climate change fueling
the e-mobility race, the pressure
has never been greater for OEMs
and Tier1s to provide emission-free
products. On the road we are al-ready
seeing the rapid growth of
electrified vehicle solutions in both
the passenger and commercial sec-tors.
At AVL we believe that it will
only be a matter of time before the
same pressures will impact off-road
and agricultural applications.
While this obviously represents
big challenges for the market, the
call for innovation also offers a
wide range of opportunities. We
are already exploring these, with
a proof-of-concept e-tractor plat-form
showing just what’s possible –
and just what we’re capable of de-livering.
THE POWER TO DELIVER
The obvious first question for this
challenge is power. Some agricul-tural
applications in particular de-mand
high power densities from
their machinery, while other appli-cations
require lower power den-sity.
And it is in this lower power
range – up to 100 HP – that full-electric
configurations become a
real possibility. This is where the
AVL e-tractor demonstrator sits.
The concept is built primarily
around two key viability factors –
innovation and cost. Modular in its
design in order to address a wide
range of customer applications, the
brains of the system lie in the unit’s
chassis, from where the power and
the versatility are delivered.
e-mobility 11
ULTIMATELY, THIS PROOF-OF-
CONCEPT PLATFORM
IS A LAUNCHPAD FOR
IMAGINATION.