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Magna Targets Electric Pickup Trucks with Heavy-Duty DrivetrainMagna Targets Electric Pickup Trucks with Heavy-Duty Drivetrain

While light-duty electric pickups are already on the road, Magna aims to start converting combustion-powered heavy-duty pickups to battery power by 2025.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

February 28, 2022

3 Min Read
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Magna's EtelligentForce battery-electric all-wheel-drive drivetrain.Image courtesy of Magna

Magna has introduced a prototype 577-horsepower battery-electric all-wheel-drive system for hard-working heavy-duty pickups that it calls EtelligentForce.

One of the world’s largest Tier-one automotive suppliers, Magna says the EtelligentForce drivetrain could power production trucks starting in 2025.

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Magna's eTelligentForce prototype pickup truck.

While carmakers are showing electrified light-duty pickups in the form of the Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, and the Chevrolet Silverado EV, so far we’ve seen little information on the potential for applying electric power to heavy-duty work pickups.

The Magna system should open the door to the introduction of battery-powered work trucks and commercial vehicles with a towing capacity of as much as 14,500 lbs. Because the eDrive front drivetrain and eBeam rear system are designed as plug-in replacements for the hardware currently used by combustion-powered trucks, the heavy-duty trucks employing them will not need to be redesigned for their use.

While this means that such vehicles might not be optimized for electric power the way the new crop of battery-powered light pickups is, it also means that manufacturers can introduce battery power without incurring the cost of a redesign. It also means that they can sell combustion- and battery-powered heavy-duty pickups alongside each other, using the same chassis, letting customers choose the drivetrain that works best for their business. This is also appealing for fleet operators, who value interchangeability for parts and service.

Related:80-Amp Ford Charge Station Pro Cuts Lightning Recharge Time by 40 Percent

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Advanced inverter technology boosts the efficiency of the eDrive front motor.

“EtelligentForce comes at a pivotal time - particularly in the North American auto industry where pickup trucks are at their height of popularity and one of the last segments to become fully electric,” said President of Magna Powertrain, Tom Rucker. “The beauty of this powerful BEV system is that it delivers the environmental benefits of an electric powertrain while maintaining the capability and utility of conventional three-quarter-ton and 1-ton trucks. We are excited to be able to share these future-ready solutions with our stakeholders this year.”

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The eDrive front motor features advanced winding design.

“Our engineers created this advanced powertrain solution to enable our automaker partners to electrify their light trucks at both a lower cost and without compromising payload or towing capacities,” he continued. “Many automakers have to totally restructure certain models and change their manufacturing footprint – this is where we step in with a highly customizable systems approach and say, ‘Tell us which parts do you need and we’ll make it.’”

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Magna has optimized the mechanical drive portion of the eDrive front motor.

In preparation for the industry’s shift to electric power, Magna is setting up a new EV center at the company’s Troy, Mich. headquarters. This will be home for the dedicated EtelligentForce team as they prepare for the 2025 start of production, according to Magna.

Related:Rivian Ushers in the Age of Electric Pickup Trucks With the Impressive R1T

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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