Knorr-Bremse, the world market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other systems for rail and commercial vehicles, is taking the next step towards the electric mobility age and is pooling its expertise in the field of e-mobility in the new company-owned development unit eCUBATOR. Up to 60 internal and external experts are to work on innovative future solutions at the Knorr-Bremse locations in Munich and Budapest.
Electric mobility will fundamentally change the system requirements of commercial
vehicles. The electrification of the commercial vehicle and, with it, the gradual substitution of the internal combustion engine requires an adaptation of the vehicle architecture. From traction to braking and steering to suspension and damping, as well as the energy supply of the systems, numerous new possibilities for efficient and scalable technologies arise.
This offers Knorr-Bremse a unique opportunity to redesign future systems for fully electrified commercial vehicles. Knorr-Bremse not only has the expertise to integrate new technologies into advanced systems that offer maximum customer value, but also the Knorr-Bremse product portfolio already includes products for the first generation of e-commercial vehicles to support customers with a view to rapid market entry.
In order to prepare Knorr-Bremse for the upcoming generations of e-vehicles, the eCUBATOR is operating as an agile think tank for future system integrations in e-vehicles.
The newly created eCUBATOR division stands for an agile working environment, cross-functional teams and flat hierarchies. It combines technical experience and interdisciplinary know-how and offers space for thinking beyond the box.
Responding to the challenges of e-mobility in an innovative way “We see the electrification of commercial vehicles as one of the major industrial trends in the commercial vehicle industry in which we want to participate.
In order to further advance innovative solutions in this area, Knorr-Bremse has established its own development unit with around 60 internal and external specialists, which is separated from normal development operations, with the eCUBATOR.
Dr. Peter Laier, Member of the Board of Management of Knorr-Bremse AG and responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems Division:
The aim of the eCUBATOR is to adapt our existing product portfolio to the mobility requirements of electric drives and at the same time to identify and develop growth opportunities for Knorr-Bremse in the field of e-mobility. We want to support our customers in the e-mobilization of the commercial vehicle.
The international and interdisciplinary development unit offers space at external locations in Munich and Budapest to identify innovative, intelligent solutions for electrically powered commercial vehicles using unconventional work approaches and to develop them in close cooperation with customers, technology partners and start-ups.
Knorr-Bremse is already in talks with potential cooperation partners. Work is already underway on a variety of different projects, which will be supplemented by additional product ideas over the coming months.
Knorr-Bremse is strengthening its product portfolio for e-commercial vehicles For first-generation electrically powered commercial vehicles, Knorr-Bremse has already developed numerous products and partially launched them on the market.
In addition to screw compressors, the portfolio includes screw compressors, which are used in particular in electric buses and also in trucks. In addition, Knorr-Bremse is well positioned in the Brake Control area: The experience gained from Brake Blending, where by the friction brake, the retarder and another engine brake work together, was used to implement Brake Blending also for electric vehicles.
The braking effect of the electric motor is combined with a friction brake, thus generating optimum braking performance and maximum energy recovery. This leads to an improvement in vehicle efficiency while maximising vehicle stability – even in adverse circumstances.
With regard to the second-generation electric vehicles, which will be launched on the market from around 2025, Knorr-Bremse will be working on future energy management systems, electromechanical actuators and advanced functions for vehicle stabilization and propulsion, among other things.
In addition, the Knorr-Bremse subsidiary Kiepe Electric relies on zero-emission public transport, the development and installation of complete electrical systems as well as absolute performance and high quality with its e-solutions.
Concrete solutions include the groundbreaking Kiepe Traction Inverter (CTI), which can be used multifunctionally for traction and battery charging. The CTI supports Kiepe Fleet Management (KFM) and the Smart Fleet Charging Management (SFM) energy management system. The permanently developed in-motion charging technology (IMC®) for flexible trolleybus traffic is established worldwide.
With its innovations, Knorr-Bremse makes a decisive contribution to the social megatrends of urbanization, sustainability, digitalisation and mobility. In recent years, the Commercial Vehicle Systems Division has focused its research and development activities significantly on the industrial trends of road safety, connectivity, automated driving, and emission reduction and e-mobility derived from megatrends.
Electromobility is one of the decisive levers in achieving the internationally agreed emission targets. Knorr-Bremse also ensures that the carbon footprint of its own components is as low as possible and that resources are used as gently as possible in the interests of a sustainable economy.
✔️ Knorr-Bremse bundles know-how in the field of e-mobility
✔️ Agile Incubator development unit founded with up to 60 specialists
✔️ Focus on second generation of electrically powered commercial vehicles
E-mobility: Knorr-Bremse establishes a new development unit with the “eCUBATOR®”, Munich, February 8, 2021
