Renault acquires minority stake in e-motor startup
Whylot is a company from the Lot region in France that has developed a unique technology in the promising field of innovative electric motors. Founded in 2011 by Romain Ravaud, Whylot is specialising in the design and development of high-tech electric motors. After ten years of research and 45 patents filed, Whylot, winner of the France-Relance project, claims to offer the best axial flux motor on the market. The acquisition of a stake in the start-up is intended to strengthen the existing strategic partnership between the two companies.
In June 2021, Renault Group had signed a partnership with Whylot to develop and industrialise on a large scale an innovative axial flux motor for motor vehicles. This technology is used in electrified and electric powertrains to reduce costs, particularly for hybrid powertrains, while reducing CO2 emissions from 2.5 g/km according to the WLTP standard (for passenger cars in segments B/C).
Renault Group claims to be the first manufacturer to produce an axial flow electric motor on a large scale from 2025. This could put them well ahead of competitors such as Mercedes – the Stuttgart-based carmaker has also recently acquired Yasa, a British company that is an expert in developing and building axial-flux motors. The high-performance motors are of strategic importance to Mercedes; the company is currently building a factory for electric cars in Berlin, although it is not due to start production for another six years.
In any case, this equity investment should enable the Renault Group and Whylot to position themselves as market leaders in the development and industrialisation of innovative and affordable electric motors in the coming years and to support the strong growth of the electric vehicle market in France and Europe.
The Renault Group thus sees itself at the forefront of a mobility that is reinventing itself. Strengthened by its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors and its specific expertise in electrification, the Renault Group comprises 5 complementary brands – Renault, Dacia, Lada, Alpine and Mobilize – to offer its customers sustainable and innovative mobility solutions.
https://www.renaultgroup.com/en/
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