Subaru and Aisin have agreed to jointly develop and share production of e-axles for use in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) that Subari UBARU will start producing from the latter half of the 2020s, by combining their knowledge and expertise in vehicle and transmission development.

An e-axle is a drive unit that integrates the main drive components for BEVs into an axle structure and consists of a gearbox, a motor and an inverter.

In addition, the two companies will study optimal parts suppliers and production schemes, taking into consideration the maintenance and development of the existing supply chain, which Subari says is ‘undergoing significant changes in the business environment due to the advancement of vehicle electrification’.

Aisin says it is accelerating the development of e-axle, which is a ‘top priority product’, by pursuing higher efficiency and downsizing.