NEVS buys in-wheel motor developer Protean Electric
04 June 2019
National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), a subsidiary of Evergrande Health, has acquired Protean Electric, a leading developer of in-wheel motor technology.
The acquisition is part of Evergrande’s strategy to become a major player in the global electric vehicle (EV) industry, and paves the way for NEVS to deploy Protean Electric’s in-wheel electric drive technology, ProteanDrive, into its future products.
Protean Electric is an automotive technology innovator and world-leading developer of in-wheel motors (IWMs) and future propulsion solutions. Founded in 2008, Protean Electric has devoted more than one million engineering man-hours to develop and validate its ProteanDrive in-wheel motor technology.
The business has more than 160 patents globally across electric motor and power electronics design, control and manufacturability, with another 150 patents pending, and ProteanDrive motors are subjected to industry-leading test criteria to ensure they meet existing automotive standards.
Compared to conventional electrified powertrains, the highly-integrated ProteanDrive in-wheel motors offer improved powertrain efficiency and greater flexibility in vehicle design. The patented high-torque density ProteanDrive technology combines a direct drive electric motor and power electronics which can be utilised on a range of platforms, including passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, urban mobility vehicles and autonomous pods.
Protean Electric will continue to operate as an independent business under the Evergrande umbrella, developing future powertrain and mobility solutions to meet the needs of the market. Formally, Protean Holdings will now be merged into Virtue Surge, a subsidiary of NEVS.
The acquisition will provide additional resources and business opportunities for Protean Electric, giving the company access to an even broader pool of skills, knowledge and experience, as well as a sizeable customer in NEVS.
NEVS is a Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer committed to shaping mobility to become more sustainable and smarter, designing and producing premium transportation solutions and electric vehicles.
In January 2019 Evergrande Health acquired a (51%) controlling stake in NEVS. In combining NEVS, Protean Electric and a number of other leading companies within the automotive area, Evergrande have formed a highly competent “New Energy Vehicle” group.
In-wheel e-motor of various size, mass produced in China, Mexico, Eastern EU and other low labour cost high productivity countries, could lower the total price of most BEVs and FCEVs?
Wheels and tires could be added as options in the same factory.
Alternatively, all those units could be mass produce with robots 24/7, where human labour cost is too high.
Posted by: HarveyD | 04 June 2019 at 02:08 PM
Seems to me that if this technology was so great, it would be prolific by now. ..perhaps unsprung weight and the forces on the wheel/motor bearings are more of a problem than reported.
Posted by: Lad | 04 June 2019 at 08:40 PM
Proteon have published suspension design studies showing that it's un-sprung mass is well within the control parameters of conventional suspension design. I suspect the first applications will be commercial vehicles and off-roaders, but eventually it's packaging advantages will be too hard to ignore for innovative small car designers.
Posted by: Bernard Harper | 04 June 2019 at 11:57 PM
I think it's viable but I also think you could either make them one third the weight or three times more HP and torque , also you could use carbon fiber wheels and low weight tires - https://nironmagnetics.com/#technology , http://curtran.com/our-products/magnetic-wire/ , https://insideevs.com/news/318031/breakthrough-insulating-material-lets-electric-motors-perfom-hotter-than-ever-before/
Posted by: william stockwell | 05 June 2019 at 06:37 PM
The total un-sprung weight of this in-wheel drive unit will be reduced in the near future with lighter tires, wheels, brakes, e-motor and controls.
Ungraded mass produced units will/could become the ideal drive units for most/all simplified electrified 4WD vehicles of various sizes for improved range and performances at a lower cost.
Posted by: HarveyD | 19 June 2019 at 02:06 PM