- BMW has announced plans to road-test vehicles equipped with DeepDrive motors.
- The company said they effectively meld two electric motors into a single unit.
- The motors promise an assortment of benefits including lower production costs and reduced weight.
BMW and DeepDrive are joining forces to test a “revolutionary” new electric motor that features dual rotor technology. The automaker says this paves the way for powerful and “super-efficient” EVs.
The companies didn’t go into many specifics, but said the road-tests follow a successful pilot project that showed promising results. As part of the effort, “various versions of the new drive [unit] will be installed into BMW Group models.”
More: BMW Neue Klasse EV Coupe Spied With Radical Tech And Futuristic Design
While the automaker didn’t release performance specifications, they said DeepDrive effectively “melds two electric motors into a single unit, creating an extremely compact drive that’s energy-efficient and has a high torque density.” They went on to explain that in a conventional electric motor, the stator moves either an internal or external rotor, while DeepDrive’s stator drives both rotors simultaneously.
BMW went on to say the “compact design and light weight of the unit allow for an in-wheel drive system, in which each wheel hub has its own electric motor. The technology can also be used in a traditional, centralized drive system, where a central motor block powers the vehicle.”
Specifics are hazy, but BMW didn’t hide their ambitions as they said “in-wheel motors will require less space and be more energy-efficient, lighter and less costly, making them an attractive option for a wide range of vehicle models and potentially highly scalable.” That sounds like a winning combination, but only time will tell if everything pans out.
That being said, spy photographers snapped a Neue Klasse coupe earlier this month and it’s expected to preview a low volume sports car. Rumors had suggested the car was equipped with DeepDrive-sourced motors and that seems likely as spy photographers noted the prototype lacked brake calipers and had “silver wheel hub motors” that were “clearly visible behind the black wheel.”
