ProteanDrive partnered with Chinese car manufacturer Dongfeng Motor to launch the world’s first homologated passenger car driven by in-wheel motors in December 2022. While the idea of in-wheel motors has been around for over a century, in recent years, it has started to evolve thanks to the rapid spread of electric vehicles. In-wheel motors are common in electric bicycles and e-scooters but are yet to feature in mass-production cars or trucks. In-wheel motors offer several advantages, including a lighter 4WD variant than classical solutions, resulting in a high-performing all-wheel-drive car. However, in-wheel motors face several challenges, such as direct exposure to dust and water and high costs. The feasibility of in-wheel motors for mass-production cars remains a topic of discussion in the car industry. ProteanDrive’s in-wheel motors may be the future of electric cars, but whether it’s a practical solution for mass-production cars is yet to be seen.
World’s First In-Wheel Motors “Mass-Production” Cars: A Future Flop or the Real Deal?
ProteanDrive, a British company, teamed up with Chinese car manufacturer Dongfeng Motor and Weifu Group to launch two mass-production cars with in-wheel motors. In-wheel motors are not a new idea, with Ferdinand Porsche’s Lohner-Porsche being the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle in the world to use hub-mounted electric motors in each wheel in the 1900s.
In the last twenty years, in-wheel motors have evolved and are currently common for electric bicycles or e-scooters. However, mass-production cars or trucks with in-wheel motors are yet to be seen. This is because it comes with several challenges such as cost, resistance, and handling.
One challenge with in-wheel motors is that a motor directly mounted in the wheel eliminates the need for a gearbox or driveshaft, but a big motor is required for a large torque, leading to larger wheels and higher costs. The in-wheel motor is also exposed to dust and water, requiring better insulation and higher costs. Plus, vibration and shocks cause low reliability in the long term, necessitating more expensive, more durable builds.
In-wheel motors also increase inertia, which negatively impacts handling. Less unsprung weight is ideal for better handling, but with in-wheel motors, unsprung weight is higher, making tire-to-road contact far worse, and acceleration/deceleration more difficult. These issues pose several challenges for engineers, making in-wheel motors impractical for mass-production large vehicles.
ProteanDrive, however, might have found a solution to these issues. The company was founded in 2008, and in 2009, used a Ford F-150 as a demonstration vehicle for its second generation of in-wheel motors. While Ford has tested the technology for its new Ford F-150 Lightning Electric Truck, they ultimately decided to ditch it due to several disadvantages.
Overall, while in-wheel motors are a logical idea, its practicality for mass-production cars is still a topic of debate. ProteanDrive’s partnership with Dongfeng Motor and Weifu Group will showcase whether in-wheel motors are a future flop or the real deal.
ProteanDrive’s In-Wheel Motors: The Future of Electric Cars?
ProteanDrive, a British company, has partnered with several Chinese companies for demonstration vehicle projects, with the most recent being fitting a Dongfeng E70 with their in-wheel motor technology. According to reports, the Dongfeng E70 became the world’s first homologated passenger car driven by in-wheel motors in December 2022.
The Dongfeng E70 was launched in 2011 as a petrol car derived from the Nissan Bluebird and was later updated to the full-electric E70 variant in 2019 with a low-performance ternary lithium battery. Dongfeng used the E70 as a guinea pig in 2021 by building several cars with new semi-solid lithium metal batteries. The batteries were swappable, and Dongfeng began a ride-hailing trial with 50 cars in 2022.
ProteanDrive’s in-wheel technology is used for the rear wheels of the new E70 demonstration variant, making it a 4WD car, while its front wheels are driven by a conventional electric motor. According to the companies, adding in-wheel motors makes for a lighter 4WD variant than classical solutions or even an e-axle one, resulting in a high-performing all-wheel drive car with an acceleration time reduced by 42%.
The E70 with in-wheel motors is not for sale as the first batch of demo cars is slated for fleet trials. The success of the tests remains to be seen, and only then will we hear again about this so-called “world’s first.”
At the same ceremony in Wuxi, where the Dongfeng E70 with in-wheel motors was showcased, another car was in prototype phase. The Voyah Zhuiguang is a large luxury electric sedan that targets the already popular NIO ET7, but it’s priced at half of the Tesla Model S.
ProteanDrive’s in-wheel motors may be the future of electric cars, but whether it’s a practical solution for mass-production cars is yet to be seen.
ProteanDrive’s In-Wheel Motors: A New Premium Battery Electric Vehicle
ProteanDrive has developed a new premium battery electric vehicle designed to use in-wheel motors with a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that can produce more than 500 hp and torque in excess of 500 lb. ft. (700 Nm). However, the company has not released any other details about the vehicle.
The car has been marketed as the “world’s first,” but it has only been homologated by China’s MIIT and is currently only available as trial cars, not for mass-production.
While this is a significant development for in-wheel motor technology, mass-production cars with this technology are still years away. The feasibility of in-wheel motors for mass-production cars remains a topic of discussion in the car industry.
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