When it comes to EVs, transmissions have got nowhere near as much attention as electric motors. After all, there’s nothing fascinating about single-speed gearboxes.
Well, things may be about to change. Austria’s electric battery and motor specialists at Kreisel Electric have launched an automated two-speed transmission for EVs. Was there a need for it? Company founders and CEOs, brothers Markus, Philipp, and Johann Kreisel, certainly seem to think so. And this is where things start to get interesting.
“We have set ourselves the demanding task of building an ultra-light, electric supercar based on a historic sports car as the ideal application for our transmission,” Markus Kreisel explains.
That car is called Porsche 910e and was unveiled at Techno Classica Essen 2017. It’s capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 300 km/h.
That kind of performance required a special powertrain, and Kreisel Electric had to develop the essential components itself if it wanted them to fit inside the tiny bodywork of the classic Porsche racer.
Also read: Kreisel Electric built Arnold Schwartzenegger’s Hummer H1 EV
That’s how the production-ready, automated 2-speed transmission came to be. As with the integrated powertrain architecture specially developed with Sala Drive GmbH, the gearbox has been designed for high performance and torque ranges.
The automated 2-speed transmission is mated to two electric motors delivering a total system power of 360 kW (483 hp) and 770 Nm (568 lb-ft) of torque. Therefore, it not only guarantees “unique acceleration values and top speeds but also acts as a reliable link between a high-performance powertrain and a correspondingly powerful and lightweight battery.”
By the way, the 54-kWh lithium-ion battery has been developed specifically for this vehicle as well, with a single charge said to guarantee a driving range of more than 350 km (217 miles).
For those of you interested in specifics, the transmission allows for 0.25-second gear shifts thanks to electromechanical gear synchronization. It also features an integrated limited slip differential lock to ensure “uninterrupted torque transmission even in slippery road conditions.” The first gear ratio is 8.16 and the second gear ratio is 4.67.
While the Porsche 910e electric conversion costs €1 million ($1.16 million) and is out of reach for most mortals, the Kreisel brothers claim the two-speed automated transmission can have multiple applications. It may sustain a maximum of 600 kW (805 hp) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft), but it can also be adapted for more humble vehicles such as small and medium-sized vans, as well as large trucks and buses.
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