Continental has entered a strategic partnership with Munich-based company DeepDrive to develop core technologies for electric vehicles. As a first project, the two companies are working on a combined in-wheel motor and brake system.
“With DeepDrive, we have gained a strong partner with whom we can jointly and sustainably advance the market penetration of electric mobility,” said Matthias Matic, head of Continental’s Safety and Motion business area.
“The electric motors developed by DeepDrive extend the range of electric vehicles. They are lighter, more economical and more resource efficient. Combining all that with our efficient, high-performance brake technology to produce a new, compact unit is a decisive contribution to the success of electric mobility. What belongs together grows together here.”
“We are convinced that the development of our dual-rotor motor will revolutionize the electrification of motor vehicles,” added Felix Poernbacher, co-founder and managing director of DeepDrive.
The company has developed and patented what it calls a dual-rotor, radial-flux motor that can be installed as a central drive unit or as a wheel hub drive in series production vehicles. The partnership is focusing on developing an efficient, compact wheel hub drive optimized with a view to cost-effective production.
In the first step of the joint project, a hydraulic brake will be integrated to create a combined drive-brake unit. The second development step will investigate the use of dry braking systems without hydraulic components. The combination of drive and brake in one unit is also the first step toward a so-called corner module with integrated chassis components, such as air suspension systems from Continental, in a compact unit directly on the wheel.
