DeepDrive raises funding for efficient wheel hub drive
DeepDrive has developed a motor for electric vehicles that is said to be 20% more efficient than the state of the art. In addition, this motor can be finished at low cost and allows the drive to be integrated into the wheel due to its compact, lightweight design. This enables new vehicle architectures that can solve the problems of existing e-vehicle concepts through high cost savings, a significantly higher range as well as far better space efficiency. Because of these advantages, there is a very high level of interest from both car manufacturers and micro-mobility vehicle manufacturers, the company informs.
“Since the 1990s, there have been repeated attempts around the world, with manageable success, to develop electric wheel hub motors that are durable, quiet and high-torque. DeepDrive technology is a breakthrough and will mean that compact electric vehicles with low costs and fantastic proportions can become a reality,” says Peter Mertens, former Chief Development Officer of Audi and Volvo, who supports DeepDrive as both an advisory board member and investor.
Efficient wheel-hub drive platform increases driving range
The founding team of DeepDrive had met at TUfast, the student motorsport team of the TU Munich university. Since its founding in May 2021, the team has developed the technology, filed patents, built the first prototypes of the drive, and validated its function, including its high efficiency, at the Fraunhofer Institute. DeepDrive presented its innovation at the IAA in Munich in September 2021 and, by its own account, attracted very high interest from both potential customers and manufacturing partners.
The team plans to use the funds raised from the seed financing round to develop its highly efficient electric drives and win its first orders. “Our focus now is on meeting the huge demand for prototypes,” says Stefan Ender, co-founder and CEO of DeepDrive. “To this end, we are currently expanding our strong team and working with key partners and customers.”
DeepDrive’s wheel hub drive: Better efficiency for higher range
In perspective, DeepDrive plans to offer complete plug & play vehicle platforms that are modular and flexibly scalable due to the wheel hub motors. This will enable vehicle manufacturers to significantly save development costs and time and build their own models on the DeepDrive platform.
Investors include UVC Partners and Bayern Kapital. “With its innovative e-drive technology, DeepDrive is moving into one of the core fields of electromobility. Efficiency, the creation of range and cost advantages as well as compact vehicle integration are thereby addressed by DeepDrive to a high degree. We see great potential for DeepDrive in a fast-growing future market,” comments Roman Huber, Managing Director of Bayern Kapital.
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