Automotive Industry Digest

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Three-quarters of cars launched at Paris MS equipped with Driveline Systems

Over three-quarters of the new premium-brand production-ready models being launched at the 2018 Paris Motor Show use technologies supplied by GKN Driveline. The UK-headquartered global leader in driveline systems will also supply constant velocity joints (CVJs), sideshaft systems and propshafts to over half of all of the new production cars making their show debuts at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre.

GKN Driveline’s lightweight, efficient and refined sideshaft systems will underpin a raft of all-new and refreshed models, including a hotly-anticipated sports car, three premium saloon cars, and five new SUVs. Elsewhere, front and rear sideshafts also deliver the power for an exciting high-performance hatchback as well as an all-new luxury grand tourer.

GKN Driveline’s range of solutions are designed to cater for every type of application. Some joints, such as the SX family, are particularly well suited to vehicles that require high levels of joint articulation during normal driving conditions. Elsewhere, propshaft ball joints, such as the PX family, are more focussed on durability and thermal performance – ideal for SUVs and trucks, where the installation angles of the joints (and therefore the levels of internal friction) are higher.

Two all-new electric cars at the Paris Motor Show will also be equipped with GKN Driveline’s front and rear sideshaft systems. While the latest electrified vehicles are changing the nature of the automobile as we know it, conventional driveshaft and CVJ systems are still required, regardless of the powertrain – and GKN Driveline is poised to thrive from the shift in the market.

In-house analysis at GKN Driveline has shown that for every 1% improvement you can make in driveline efficiency, you can expect to see more than 1% improvement in electric vehicle range. Given that range is usually a crucial consideration for an EV purchase, a focus on CVJ efficiency is arguably more important than ever.

Saving weight within the driveline is also helping automakers to increase the range of their EVs. GKN Driveline’s Countertrack technology made significant improvements in this regard when it was first introduced in 2009, and the concept has been refined ever since. The counter-running ball tracks – hence the name – made it possible to reduce internal friction and heat, and reduce the overall weight of the joint by up to 15% compared to a conventional unit.

GKN Driveline is the market leader in the development and delivery of contemporary driveline solutions, including advanced propshaft and sideshaft CVJ systems. With a comprehensive global footprint, GKN works with over 90% of the world’s car manufacturers, and its evolving technology has featured on more than nine billion vehicles around the world.

Automotive Industry Digest

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