Drop-in eBeam EV Meant For Pickups Is Great Except for One Thing
Magna’s eBeam axle is meant to fit into existing pickup truck frames, but some important information is still unclear.
When you ask a group of truck owners what features they want, you’ll get some usual responses. Payload, towing capability, low end torque. All of these things are important. And EV motors can deliver that. Understandably there’s some questions.
Magna is an innovation company that has already made quite an impact on the automotive market. They were the pioneers of the Stow-N-Go seating tech now seen in minivans. And they also developed rear camera systems to make reversing a breeze. They even have tech that can sense where a trailer needs to be when reversing, doing all of the steering work for the driver. So their past work is solid.
Now they have debuted the eBeam. It’s an EV conversion that utilizes existing truck components, and fits into the space formerly occupied by the rear axle. Options include different power levels, and even the ability to add a front axle power unit, retaining AWD. Because it simply changes the power delivery to the wheels, rather than the structure of the truck, all of the truck’s features should remain the same. Traction, grip, off-road capability would likely even be improved. Previously, GM showcased a stock driveline, EV converted Blazer, with an electric motor in place of the engine. While similar in concept, the eBeam is more streamlined.
One thing that Magna didn’t cover is the elephant in the room. Range. Trucks need range, and they need lots of it. This is especially true for delivery vehicles. And it is even more relevant to see how range is affected by the addition of a payload and a trailer. These critical points weren’t covered by Magna. It may be because that’s a task more so up to the battery rather than the EV motor. But they touted this technology as being something that would have all the same benefits of internal combustion. And they didn’t talk about arguably one of the most important features.
Either way, for light duty trucks, the eBeam may be a viable conversion. It could be scooped up by a company like GM who would be eager to lower development costs, and implement EV trucks rather quickly.
Photos: Magna, GM
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