Protean Electric has recently come up with an in-wheel motor, a revolutionary technology in a compact design with which it boasts of being able to increase the efficiency of a four wheeler. Weighing about 68 pounds/31 kilograms and with a 110 horsepower output, this wheel-turner is expected to enter the stage of mass-production by the end of 2012.
Designed to be light-weight and hence, more efficient the in-wheel motor has twin applications. It can be employed in electric cars as well as the traditional ICE vehicles. Integrating the in-wheel motor technology in electric vehicles render the vehicle lighter than what it was prior to its usage, as it totally negates the very presence of a drive shaft, gearbox and/or differential. Furthermore, installing it in the more common ICE vehicles results in total hybridization with the vehicle having not one, but three drive modes – electric-only, engine-only and through-the-road hybrid. The end-result is therefore, a pure electric assist of 220 horsepower to the vehicle, 110 from each wheel.
To actually display the utility of this technology and also dispel common myths about electric vehicles, Protean fitted four in-wheel motors in the purely electric truck F-150 of Ford and demonstrated its power of still being able to reach speeds of 100-plus miles an hour with a 100-mile range. For smaller vehicles, such as Volvo’s ReCharge, the same assembly could help it reach from 0-60 in less than five seconds with a top out of 130+ mph possible as well.
Currently, Protean Electric offers only one in-wheel motor technology designed for a typical 18-inch road wheel. Certification for this is also still pending, but considering the aggressive marketing Protean is into, this would happen soon enough to have mass production possible within 18 months.
Via: AutoBlog Green
