Investment required:£50m

    Automotive ‐ CleanTech / Engineering
    In wheel electric motor

    Synopsis
    The company is an award‐winning technology company that has developed an in‐wheel electric drive system for hybrid, plug‐in hybrid and battery electric light‐duty vehicles. The Protean Drive™ system can improve vehicle fuel economy, add torque, increase power and enable improved vehicle handling to both new and existing vehicles. Protean Drive™ is a fully‐integrated, direct‐drive solution that combines in‐wheel motors with an integrated inverter, control electronics and software – no separate large, heavy and costly inverter is required. Each motor packages easily in the unused space behind a conventional 18‐ to 24‐inch wheel and can use the original equipment wheel bearing. The direct‐drive configuration reduces part count, complexity and cost, so there is no need to integrate traditional drivetrain components such as external gearing, transmissions, driveshafts, axles and differentials. Direct‐drive, in‐wheel motors require no gearboxes, driveshafts or differentials thus giving far greater flexibility to vehicle designers while substantially reducing drivetrain losses. The reduced drivetrain losses mean less energy is wasted (during both acceleration and regenerative braking), resulting in more of the energy from the battery pack being available to propel the vehicle. Each in‐wheel motor can be controlled entirely independently, providing far greater control, performance and vehicle dynamics than any other drive system. In addition, traction control, launch control and torque vectoring are all easily implemented through the use of in‐wheel motors.

    Stage ‐ Expansion
    Prototype manufacturing will begin in early 2013 with volume production in 2014, out of Protean’s new manufacturing facility in Liyang, China. The company and BRABUS, the highly acclaimed automobile tuner, partnered to produce the BRABUS Hybrid. Powering the rear wheels in combination with the internal combustion engine, the company in‐wheel motors each add 80 kW (110 hp) and 800 Nm (590 ft.‐lbs.) of peak torque. This gives the sedan a combined electric motor and internal combustion engine acceleration of 0‐100 km/hr (0‐62 mph) in 7.4 seconds and a combined electric motor and internal combustion engine acceleration of 60‐120 km/hr (37‐75 mph) of 5.6 seconds.

    Awards & Partnerships
    2013 “Most Promising Technology” Car & Driver, SKF; BRABUS

    Opportunity for China: Manufacturing facility in Liyang. Automotive markets.