Antwerp-based Windrose has developed an electric power takeoff (EPTO) unit integrated into the electric axle of its R700 heavy-duty truck, providing up to 70 kilowatts of power through an 800-volt high-voltage platform. The company says the unit is approximately the size of an iPad and enables trailer equipment to operate without relying on an idling diesel engine.
With this move, Windrose is targeting car-carrier fleets that use specialized trailers equipped with ramps and supports requiring an independent power source. According to the article, the company designed the unit after failing to find an available EPTO solution suitable for the operating requirements of this equipment, and then integrated it directly into its internally designed electric axle.
What Is the Function of a Power Takeoff Unit?
In conventional trucks, a PTO unit serves as a point for drawing power from the engine or transmission to operate external equipment, such as dump bodies, cranes, pumps, and plows. An electric truck, however, does not have a combustion engine that can be kept running to provide this power, so it requires an electric motor and power electronics that draw electricity from the battery and convert it into mechanical power for the equipment.
This solution is becoming increasingly important in trucks that use independent electric motors without a conventional transmission. Many trailers, pumps, cranes, and other types of equipment were originally designed to operate with mechanical PTO systems, making the provision of a compatible electrical interface a practical challenge for electric-truck operators.
What Changes in Practice?
Integrating the EPTO inside the electric axle gives the car-carrier truck additional capability to operate its equipment from the same powertrain system, instead of installing a separate diesel power source for the trailer or relying on external solutions. The stated output is 70 kilowatts, but the article does not provide details about battery consumption while the unit is operating, the available operating time, or how it is compatible with different types of equipment and trailers.
The move follows the attention that Windrose’s R700 truck received during testing. According to the article, the truck traveled more than 578 miles between Colton and Buckeye in Arizona, along the I-10 freight corridor, while towing a gross combined weight of 75,000 pounds. This test does not in itself mean that the distance was achieved while operating the EPTO unit, but it illustrates the context in which the company is presenting an integrated electric solution for heavy-duty trucks.
Why Does This News Matter?
The challenge of electrifying heavy-duty transport is not limited to moving the truck; it also includes operating the equipment connected to it. From this perspective, the EPTO unit could reduce the gap between the capabilities of electric trucks and the requirements of car-carrier fleets and specialized equipment. Ken North, an emerging-technologies adviser at the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE), also described the unit as potentially expanding the uses of the electric truck on highways.
Nevertheless, practical questions concerning commercial availability, compatibility with existing equipment, the effect of operating at 70 kilowatts on the truck’s range, and integration costs remain open in the available information. Therefore, the development’s value currently appears to lie in addressing an important integration issue in electric trucks, rather than serving alone as sufficient evidence of the overall superiority of the Windrose platform.