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GKN has developed the world's first Disconnect All-Wheel Drive System for A-, B- and C-segment vehicle platforms, which improves fuel economy at cruising speed by up to 4%.
The system responds to driver inputs and road conditions, connecting and disengaging drive to the rear axle on demand. By eliminating rotating losses from the driveline, fuel efficiency can be improved.
As a tightly packaged AWD system, it replaces features such as the standard power transfer unit (PTU) with a monoblock housing that fully integrates the propeller shaft's constant-velocity joint. The clutch system at the heart of the disconnect system is an evolution of the one used in the Range Rover Evoque.
Moreover, a dedicated driveline control unit continuously monitors vehicle dynamics and environmental conditions, disconnecting the AWD system during steady-state driving speeds when the AWD function is not needed. If the driver or conditions require more traction, the AWD system reconnects within 300 milliseconds.
Source : GKN
The system responds to driver inputs and road conditions, connecting and disengaging drive to the rear axle on demand. By eliminating rotating losses from the driveline, fuel efficiency can be improved.
As a tightly packaged AWD system, it replaces features such as the standard power transfer unit (PTU) with a monoblock housing that fully integrates the propeller shaft's constant-velocity joint. The clutch system at the heart of the disconnect system is an evolution of the one used in the Range Rover Evoque.
Moreover, a dedicated driveline control unit continuously monitors vehicle dynamics and environmental conditions, disconnecting the AWD system during steady-state driving speeds when the AWD function is not needed. If the driver or conditions require more traction, the AWD system reconnects within 300 milliseconds.
Source : GKN
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| Photo: GKN |