British Designed In-Wheel Motor Claims Hypercar Torque

A British in-wheel powertrain company is claiming an industry leading torque output from its 18-inch wheel system for battery-electric vehicles.

Protean Electric’s ProteanDrive Generation 5 in-wheel motor (IWM) with an integrated inverter has completed its full validation program and boasts a whopping maximum torque output of 1,106 ft.-lb. matching the sort of outputs seen in only a handful of hypercars.

During its validation program, covering legislation, regulation and automaker standards applicable to the IWMs, more than 80 units were tested running through 64 test programs.

Now the system meets the automotive standard requirements of 15 years and 186,500 miles durability. It system, while designed in the U.K. is manufactured in Tianjin, China, also meets environment durability requirements, such as wading, pothole impact and other harsh conditions experienced by vehicle wheels in real-world situations.

Stephen Lambert, chief technology officer of Protean Electric, says: “In-wheel motors are proving to be a pivotal, enabling technology for the next generation of EVs. Looking to the future, our team has invested heavily in our test and validation procedures to ensure that the Gen 5 IWM, exposed to severe shock, vibration, thermal cycle, sand, dust, water, and chemical contamination, is designed to last and do the distance, securing a net-zero future across multiple vehicles and transport solutions.”