The automotive industry is on the verge of a technological breakthrough that promises to rewrite the rules for the design and efficiency of electric vehicles. Munich-based innovation startup DeepDrive has secured a large-scale order from an unnamed global automotive giant for the mass implementation of its revolutionary in-wheel motors, with series production starting in 2028.
The technology promises a fundamental reduction in energy consumption by up to twenty percent, while freeing up significant volume under the hood for a larger battery pack or additional luggage compartment. To prove the reliability of the concept in real-world conditions, engineers installed the drive system on an experimental Tesla Model 3 test car. The machine successfully covered more than 2,500 kilometers, passing through severe winter tests in Scandinavia and intensive tests in service conditions. The direct location near the rear wheels also contributes to saving about 30 kilograms of weight compared to the factory unit.
The basis of this breakthrough is the patented dual-rotor design, in which an electromagnetic stator drives the wheel simultaneously through two rings. This engineering approach provides colossal torque and completely eliminates the need for traditional gearboxes, transmission shafts and clutches, which traditionally generate mechanical energy losses. The flagship RM 1800 unit weighs only 35 kilograms, but generates an impressive 160 kilowatts of power and 1800 Nm of torque - indicators that surpass conventional solutions dozens of times in terms of a uniform weight-to-energy efficiency ratio.
The project has already attracted serious strategic interest from leading industry players, with Volkswagen Group investing 30 million euros in the development of the startup, and BMW engineers define the innovation as a technological breakthrough that combines two electric motors into one compact unit. In collaboration with the giant Continental, special integrated drum brake mechanisms have also been developed, which allow the drive to be fully integrated into the rim. Although the wheel-motor concept dates back to the historic Lohner Porsche more than a century ago, modern materials and digital control make this idea ready for mass market entry, reducing the production costs of electric vehicles by at least a thousand euros per unit.