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Chinese partner VW signs deal with Protean In wheel motors.
Protean Electric gets its rolling wheel motor business.
The company signed a contract with FAW-Volkswagen - German carmaker Chinese partner - to develop a new electric powertrain for a future production car.
FAW-VW will use two Protean wheeled engines in a new electric car rear-wheel drive to be based on the Bora compact sedan, a very similar car in the Volkswagen Jetta berline sold in North America.
Protean last wheel motor develops 75 kilowatts 100 horsepower and can recover up to 85 percent of the kinetic energy of braking, the company announced Thursday.
The main advantage of wheel motors are packaging Any control electronics in the engine, which is inside the wheels 18 to 24 inches in diameter Each engine looks a bit like a drum brake old .
In fact, the electric motor is essentially turned inside out and divided into a series of sub-engines, arranged in a circle with individual power electronics.
The main drawback of the wheel motors is the unsprung weight, most car suspension mass must be treated.
Protean believes many of the problems caused by the additional weight of an electric motor in a wheel hub can be solved by adjusting the suspension attention.
Brabus Draft hybrid technology, using Protean motors wheels.
So far, Protean has demonstrated its wheel motors by converting plug-in hybrid production vehicles including a Ford F-150 and a Brabus Mercedes-Benz E-Class
The renovation of large sedans and pickups is a good way to increase the effectiveness of these types of vehicles heavy weight load and high performance will be among the most difficult to do effective enough to meet upcoming fuel economy standards.
However, the driving car rear wheel based on electrical Bora FAW-VW may be the first production vehicle designed to use motors Protean wheels, as well as their first electrical application.
The engine production is expected to start next year in Liyang, China In addition to providing a location for a factory, the Chinese city provided funds for Protean.
Chinese partner VW signs deal with Protean In wheel motors, Chinese partner signs.