ZHUCHENG, China, September 23, 2026 — New-energy commercial vehicles are close to a majority in China, and the axle is where that change lands first. For axle suppliers the shift is already visible in order books.
The numbers. CAAM data released on September 10 show August commercial vehicle sales of 328,000 units, up 3.8% year on year, with exports of 120,000 units up 53.3%. New-energy commercial vehicle sales rose 57%, lifting penetration to 49.3%, while natural-gas trucks fell 62.7%. January–August exports rose 38.1% to 905,000 units.
Why axles sit at the centre. An electric driveline removes the gearbox and the propshaft, but not the axle. A battery-electric truck still needs a front axle rated for the extra 2-3 tonnes of battery, and a rear axle that houses the motor or delivers its torque. The result is e-axle integration, not axle elimination.
The hardware answer at IAA. At IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover (September 14–20), Hande Axle showed the HDE11.5t two-speed oil-cooled e-axle: a motor spinning above 20,000 rpm in a 786 kg axle body, saving several hundred kilograms on a 6x4 tractor. The HDE13t dual-motor three-speed unit is rated above 59,000 N·m, while Dongfeng Dana's eA35 heavy e-axle exceeds 94% transmission efficiency with a 1.6-million-km B10 life.
What buyers should check. Three numbers decide a commercial vehicle axle order: rated load against battery weight, efficiency across the real duty cycle rather than at peak, and service interval in kilometres. Suppliers that publish all three capture the export orders behind the 38.1% growth.
Where Yihe Axle stands. Zhucheng Yihe Axle Co., Ltd. builds front axles and drive axles on proven stamping, welding, machining and assembly lines, now extended to new-energy axle assemblies for domestic and export customers. The conclusion for buyers: as new-energy commercial vehicles pass the halfway mark, axle specification — not motor specification — will decide payload, range and lifetime cost.
