Powering the Future of Street Cleaning: Advanced Electric Drivetrain for Municipal Sweepers

A leading manufacturer of road maintenance equipment needed a drivetrain for municipal sweepers. The company wanted to develop a fully electric, compact, municipal sweeper designed for enhanced efficiency, reliability, and long-duration operation in urban environments. The transition to an optimized electric drivetrain aimed to improve energy efficiency while maintaining high torque performance at low speeds.  

Technical Challenge  

A compact, high-performance electric motor to replace the incumbent supplier’s driveline, which lacked the necessary efficiency and power density for sustained low-speed operation. The motor needed to:  

• Deliver high torque at low speeds to ensure effective sweeping performance, especially when the machine needs to start driving uphill 
• Fit within strict space constraints while optimizing vehicle weight distribution  
• Maximize efficiency to extend the operating range and reduce power consumption  

The Solution  

The solution provided an advanced electrification package tailored to the specific requirements of municipal sweeping applications, including:  

• Axial flux motor integration – Provided superior power density, torque, and efficiency, optimized for the constrained installation space  
• Custom drive shaft development – Engineered for precise torque delivery and improved mechanical performance under continuous low-speed operation, ensuring robustness and high quality  
• Optimized energy efficiency – A motor system designed to minimize energy losses, enabling extended battery runtime and increased vehicle range.  
• Quiet operation – In urban environments where sweepers are used, quiet operation is important, especially when the sweep in the evenings or early morning hours 

The motors’ specifications were: 

• Maximum speed – 5,000 rpm 
• Continuous torque Newton meters (Nm) – 520 Newton meters (Nm) 
• Peak torque (20s) – 1,200 Nm 
• Nominal output power – 188 kilowatts (kW) 
• Peak output power at 20 seconds – 440 kW 

Performance Outcomes of the Drivetrain for Municipal Sweepers

By integrating the axial flux motor, the OEM successfully enhanced the electric sweeper’s capabilities, achieving:  

• Superior, performance – The new drivetrain exceeded the efficiency and power output of the previous supplier’s system.  
• extended range – Reduced energy consumption allowed for longer operational periods between charging cycles.  
• Enhanced urban operational efficiency – The vehicle demonstrated improved torque control, quiet operation, and seamless adaptation to city maintenance tasks. 
• Improved up-hill start performance – The motor configuration was carefully selected to deliver high torque at low speed, improving the OEM’s customer experience 

This project highlights the advantages of axial flux motor technology in municipal and industrial vehicle electrification, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and reliability in road maintenance solutions.