Imagine a future where your car is not only more efficient but also sleeker and more spacious than ever before. That future might be closer than you think, thanks to a groundbreaking technology emerging from the heart of Munich. Deepdrive, a pioneering electric motor research company, is on the cusp of revolutionizing the automotive industry with its in-wheel drive motors. But here’s where it gets exciting: these motors promise to make electric vehicles (EVs) up to 20% more efficient while freeing up valuable space, potentially reshaping car design as we know it.
Currently undergoing public trials in Volvo and Tesla prototypes at the Salzburgring racing circuit, these motors are more than just a concept. According to Deepdrive, they could set new benchmarks for efficiency and economy in car propulsion. But here’s where it gets controversial: while traditional EV systems have made strides in reducing energy losses, Deepdrive claims its technology still has a significant edge, addressing long-standing issues like weight and complexity that have historically plagued in-wheel motors.
At the recent Munich Motor Show, Alex Rosen, Deepdrive’s chief engineer and co-founder, revealed ambitious plans to scale up production for “small series” cars by 2028. With €50 million (£43.5m) in backing from industry giants like Volkswagen and BMW, the company is already gearing up for pilot production. And this is the part most people miss: Deepdrive’s journey began in 2021 with a group of seven young engineers who met through a Formula Student team at a Munich university. Frustrated by the slow pace of innovation at larger tech firms, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
“Developing in-wheel motors was our original big idea,” Rosen explains. “We saw—and still see—enormous potential, even as rival EV systems have improved over the years. When we started, conventional EV drive systems were losing around 40% of energy to heat and friction. Today, that’s down to 25%, but we believe our technology can push efficiency even further.”
Beyond efficiency, Rosen highlights other advantages: superior performance, precise torque vectoring, and significant space savings. “All-wheel drive and regenerative braking become almost standard with our system,” he adds. But here’s a thought-provoking question: Could Deepdrive’s dual-rotor motor, lighter and more efficient than traditional single-rotor designs, challenge the dominance of central drive systems? While the concept of twin-rotor motors isn’t new, Deepdrive claims to be the first to make it practical and scalable.
As the automotive world watches closely, one thing is clear: Deepdrive’s innovations could redefine not just how EVs perform, but how they’re designed. What do you think? Is this the future of electric mobility, or is there still room for skepticism? Let us know in the comments—we’d love to hear your take!
