Understanding Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Wheel Bearings

Here’s the simple truth, hybrids, plugin hybrids, and electric vehicles, they’re heavy. A hybrid vehicle has the added weight of all of the electrical components on top of the engine and the rest of the drivetrain. EVs are also typically heavier thanks to the sheer size and weight of the battery packs and the electric motors. Remember that one of the primary jobs for wheel bearings is to help support the weight of the vehicle.

And at BCA Bearings, we offer a full line of premium OE quality wheel bearings, including almost 200 applications that are EV and hybrid. We also have the advantage of our parent company, NTN, being the largest OE manufacturer of wheel hubs in the world. So we are able to bring that engineering expertise to the aftermarket and ensure that our BCA products meet the demands of today’s EV and hybrid applications.

So the wheel bearings installed on an e-Golf, would have to support an extra 492 pounds of vehicle weight, compared to those installed on a GTI.

When you think of EVs, namely Tesla, you might think of advanced systems such as self-driving and auto emergency braking. EVs are seen by many as being on the cutting edge of safety technology. These systems fall under the umbrella of ADOS and they are critical to vehicle and occupant safety. ADAS systems rely heavily on a number of systems and components.

This includes brake linings, hoses, the ABS unit, steering components, and of course, the wheel bearings. If the vehicle’s lane keep assist needs to steer you back toward the center of a lane, a loose ball joint or a steering linkage will make that more difficult.

If the vehicle starts to skid due to a loss of traction, but a wheel bearing is worn out or the wheel speed sensor isn’t producing a high quality signal, the system may not be able to regain control. All of these components and more, simply must be in top working order for the ADAS systems to function properly.

The BCA HUB video series brings together the latest video tech tips on wheel hubs, bearings and seals, featuring the experts you trust. Brought to you by BCA Bearings by NTN.