The future belongs to electric motors, and commercial vehicles are no exception. To date, however, many attempts to develop electric motors for commercial vehicles have stalled at the prototype stage or are extremely expensive. The Electric Scalable Axle Module (ESKAM) project is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The team is developing an axle module for commercial vehicles, consisting of a motor, gearbox, and power electronics. Everything fits neatly and compactly into a shared housing, which is fitted in the respective vehicle using a special frame construction also developed by the project scientists.

The axle module presents numerous advantages. For example, it has a high power density and a very high torque. Because the module is scalable, it can be used in everything from small vans and municipal vehicles, to buses and trucks. With a wheel hub motor, that would not be possible. While wheel hub motors have definite advantages, they are not suitable for commercial vehicles, as they scarcely deliver more than 2,000 rpm.

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