ProteanDrive Featured by MAHLE Powertrain

Protean Electric, the global leader of advanced in-wheel electric drive, partnered with MAHLE-Powertrain to construct and develop a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

The Through-the-Road Parallel Hybrid Demonstrator Vehicle (TTR) equipped with ProteanDrive shows the benefits of adopting in-wheel electric motors in a passenger car. In the TTR transmission, similar to the BMW i8, the electric and ICE propulsion combines through traction with the road, having no mechanical linkage within the vehicle.

This ‘through the road’ parallel drive arrangement allows the vehicle to be operated in three distinct driving modes:

• Full electric rear wheel drive with zero tailpipe emissions
• Conventional engine front wheel drive for highway use
• Full hybrid all-wheel drive for maximum performance and traction

Since Protean Electric and MAHLE Powertrain successfully converted this standard gasoline powered vehicle, Protean has further enhanced the ProteanDrive motor performance to produce 1250Nm & 80kW per wheel motor. Through the retuning of the suspension Protean Electric has demonstrated that driving dynamics, contrary to popular belief, do not suffer as a result of adding in-wheel motors and can actually be enhanced by independent torque vectoring control.

ProteanDrive Through-the-Road Parallel Hybrid – Partnership: Mahle Powertrain & Protean Electric

See the 2015 Mahle press release here.

About Protean Electric:
Protean Electric designs, develops and manufactures ProteanDrive in-wheel motors, a fully integrated in-wheel drive solution.  Protean Electric’s technology is strategically positioned to play a major role in the global hybrid and electric vehicle market by offering a combination of packaging advantages, new vehicle design opportunities, performance benefits and cost savings.

Using a scalable and patented sub-motor architecture, the current PD18 product, designed to fit inside an 18” wheel rim, provides the power and torque required to propel hybrid and electric vehicles from C-segment all the way to light commercial categories.

For more information, visit www.proteanelectric.com