TECH START-UP ON CUSP OF EV BREAKTHROUGH

Munich firm tests next-gen in-wheel motor and radical dual-rotor motor

- STEVE CROPLEY

Deepdrive, a Munich-based electric motor research company, has begun public trials of a range of in-wheel automotive drive motors that, it claims, can bring new standards of efficiency and economy to car propulsion.

The new motors, being tested initially in Volvo and Tesla prototypes on the Salzburgring racing circuit, will eventually allow manufacturers to build EVS that are up to 20% more efficient, and with much greater space efficiency enabling "never seen" proportions, according to the firm.

Speaking at the recent Munich motor show, chief engineer Alex Rosen, one of the founders of Deepdrive, told Autocar that the company plans to scale up for "small series" car production by 2028 and has customers waiting for its products.

It has already acquired around €50 million (£43.5m) in investment funding from backers such as Volkswagen and BMW to assist in the establishment of pilot production facilities.