BMW Bets on More Efficient EV MotorsBMW Bets on More Efficient EV Motors

BMW invests in EV motor startup DeepDrive for the company's impressive patented lightweight motor technology.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

March 21, 2023

2 Min Read
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DeepDrive's compact electric motor design.BMW

BMW is a co-lead investor in the $16.1-million Series A round for startup DeepDrive, along with UVC Partners, Bayern Kapital with Wachstumsfonds Bayern, and Continental’s Corporate Venture Capital Unit.

DeepDrive has developed in-wheel electric motors for EVs and a dual-rotor design that the company says saves cost and resources compared to other designs. The company says that its radial flux dual-rotor electric motor includes power electronics so it can be installed in any vehicle either as a central drive motor or as an in-wheel motor.

The claims include that DeepDrive’s patented technology increases the range of vehicles, achieves high torque density, is cost-efficient to manufacture, and requires fewer natural resources. “With our dual-rotor technology, we are significantly more cost-effective and efficient on the road, shaping tomorrow's electromobility,” said co-founder and CEO Felix Pörnbacher. "We believe our technology will revolutionize vehicle electrification. The demand for our development shows that we are on the right track.”

BMW apparently agrees. "With its patented and unique e-motor architecture, DeepDrive could set new standards for e-mobility,” said Marcus Behrendt, Managing Director at BMW i Ventures. “DeepDrive's e-motor technology is designed for easy and cost-effective mass production,” he notes, which bodes well for its potential to reach volume production. 

DeepDrive says it will use this cash infusion to start manufacturing its motors and hire workers with the goal of winning production commitments from carmakers. The company’s claims for its motors include:

  • cost-efficient manufacturing

  • 50 percent less magnet material

  • 80 percent less iron use

  • rare-earth-free magnets

  • less than 30 percent the cost per Nm in comparison to the state-of-the-art

DeepDrive’s 19-inch-diameter in-wheel motors deliver 1,250 Nm torque and 125-kW peak power at a claimed 97 percent efficiency in a package that weighs an impressive 70.4 lbs. (32 kg). It is suitable for compact class and mid-size EVs using lithium iron phosphate or sodium-ion batteries. The central drive motor boasts 700 Nm torque and 300 kW peak power with a 12,000-rpm maximum speed 98 percent E-drive efficiency and only 66 lbs. (30kg) of weight.

Dual-Rotor, Radial-Flux Machine

  • highest torque and power density

  • small iron losses and high material utilization

  • lowest noise emissions and torque ripple

  • simple and effective cooling concept

New Winding Concept

  • distributed bar winding

  • slot filling factor above 80 percent

  • simple manufacturing

Efficient Integrated Silicon Carbide Inverter

  • innovative topology with SiC MOSFETS

  • optimized for reduced losses

  • patented, cost-effective topology

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DeepDrive’s founders met as members of Technical University Munich’s Formula Student team before banding together to found this company. In addition to BMW, DeepDrive says it is working with eight of the top ten OEMs, with the goal of bringing its technology to production by 2026.

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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