Elaphe hosts EU-project gathering with rare hands-on driving of in-wheel powered cars for journalists and experts alike

• Elaphe is a technology partner in three major Horizon Europe projects—SmartCorners, HighScape, and EM-TECH. These EU-funded research projects were presented in more detail during a press conference at the event.
• Rare hands-on experience for select group of journalists and technical experts at a proving ground on July 1^st 2025: driving multiple technology demonstrator vehicles powered by Elaphe’s advanced In-Wheel Motor (IWM) systems and proprietary vehicle motion control. 

• Drivers witnessed how software-defined motion control at the wheel level transforms vehicle behavior—enhancing performance, ride comfort, and control—while breaking myths around unsprung mass and system complexity.

 

Vransko, Slovenia, July 1^st, 2025 – In-wheel technology demo day brought together journalists, technical experts and EU research partners to demonstrate how research efforts cross-pollinate in actual applications – in-wheel-driven vehicles.

A profound purpose that could change the game

While electric vehicles with two or three electric motors on board are no longer a rarity, these platforms are far from optimal in terms of future-proofing. Onboard electric axles still occupy significant space on the chassis, making it harder to package batteries, deliver ergonomics for the passengers and have a solid air drag coefficient (and consequently, lower energy consumption). Wheels of today’s EVs are still driven through a series of transmissions, each adding inefficiencies, mechanical delays and reduction of stiffness for torque transfer – which is incredibly important for proactive vehicle dynamic control (related to performance, safety and comfort of occupants).

Direct-drive in-wheel motors are the antithesis to onboard (single or multi-motor) e-axles. They provide the shortest path of torque from generation to the road, at control speeds 20 times faster than anything with a gear or transmission shaft. And this unique property of in-wheel motors, combined with the minimal volume footprint on the vehicle, is changing the game.

Placing motors into the wheels of a vehicle is not a new idea. However, such technologies have seen massive innovation in recent years, especially in making them fit for automotive applications – efficiency, torque- and power- density, power electronics. Most importantly, in different ways of how to leverage their fast response at each wheel to improve performance, safety and driving dynamics of vehicles.

At the forefront of these innovations is Elaphe Propulsion Technologies, a European pioneer of direct drive in-wheel technology, along with multiple partners from around the continent.

Research and application in the real world go hand-in-hand

As a technology partner in three major Horizon Europe projects—SmartCorners, HighScape, and EM-TECH—Elaphe is directly involved in shaping the next generation of software-defined, sustainable mobility solutions with its partners, both through the development of innovative high-speed control software and improvements of in-wheel propulsion technology from the hardware perspective.

Key in-wheel motor benefits include:

• Independent Torque Control: Each wheel is powered individually, enabling torque vectoring, advanced traction, and enhanced vehicle stability.
• Improved Packaging: Eliminates bulky drivetrain components, allowing for more cabin space, better aerodynamics, and complete design freedom. Increases comfort and performance and decreases overall energy consumption.
• Ultra-Fast Response: Elaphe’s direct drive technology offers 20x faster torque response compared to conventional e-drives, enabling unique wheel and vehicle control functions. It creates the potential to reduce vehicle production costs by up to 20% through multiple optimizations of the vehicle platform.
• Software-Defined Vehicle Character: very different driving characteristics can be enabled on a single HW platform purely through software—no hardware changes needed.
• Emotion & Interactive Experience with Elaphe’s proprietary Vibroacoustics: In-wheel motors can deliver silent operation or be tuned for custom haptic feedback—bringing genuine powertrain sound and vibrations to the driver and passengers.

As OEMs seek to differentiate and optimize their next-generation vehicle platforms, in-wheel propulsion is no longer an idea. It’s being driven—literally.

A hands-on driving experience & a look behind the scenes

On July 1st, Elaphe Propulsion Technologies hosted a select group of journalists and technical experts at a local proving ground for a rare hands-on experience: driving multiple technology demonstrator vehicles powered by Elaphe’s advanced In-Wheel Motor (IWM) systems and proprietary vehicle motion control.

Drivers were able to witness how software-defined motion control at the wheel level transforms vehicle behavior—enhancing performance, ride comfort, and control—while breaking myths around unsprung mass and system complexity.

The event brought together research partners from all over Europe, including academic and industrial experts co-developing the future of mobility. The three EU-funded research projects were presented in more detail during a press conference at the event.

Together, these projects and participating partners are helping to pave the way for a more compact, modular, and software-controlled EV architecture, a vision that is at the heart of Elaphe.

These high-tech projects represent the forefront of European innovation, which shares a common goal: transforming advanced research into real-world applicable technologies for the sustainable and exciting future of mobility.

At Elaphe, we bring this vision to life by turning innovation into fully functional, validated solutions ready for fast industrial adoption.

SmartCorners – Smarter Control Through AI-Powered Integration

The SmartCorners project is focused on developing AI-driven propulsion and thermal management systems aimed at increasing EV range by 20% and reducing system-level costs by 5%. Elaphe’s role within the consortium centers on showcasing the transformative value of software-defined control for the future of mobility.

Key contributions and goals include:

• Unified Control of All Actuators: Coordinated control of propulsion, braking, suspension, and steering to boost vehicle safety and dynamic performance—demonstrated via a skateboard platform by project’s end.
• AI-Augmented Development: Leveraging artificial intelligence to support the creation of smarter, more efficient control algorithms.
• Collaborative Software Platform: Enabling cross-disciplinary teams to jointly solve control challenges, accelerating system development cycles.

Elaphe equipped an OEM production vehicle with in-wheel motors, which also serves as a dynamic control development platform within the project, showcasing advanced motion control features and software-defined driving experiences.

EM-TECH – Redefining Motor Design for a Circular, High-Performance Future

Part of the EU’s flagship 2Zero Partnership, EM-TECH targets the next generation of sustainable, high-efficiency electric motor technologies. The project emphasizes digital twinning, material circularity, and smart design.

Elaphe’s primary innovation within EM-TECH:

• Advanced Cooling for Radial Flux Motors: Developing direct cooling techniques using dielectric fluids rather than conventional water-glycol systems to significantly enhance motor performance and efficiency.

This research supports Elaphe’s continued advancement in scalable, high-torque and extremely efficient in-wheel motor designs built for mass-produced software-defined platforms.

HighScape – Power Electronics Innovation for Scalable e-Mobility

HighScape project explores modular and cost-effective power electronics tailored for distributed EV architectures like in-wheel motor systems. The focus lies on compactness, efficiency, and system-level integration.

Elaphe’s contributions include:

• Scalable Architecture Using SiC & GaN: The project looks at different integration philosophies: from power electronics integrated directly into in-wheel motors or closer to the battery system. By implementing wide-bandgap semiconductors, all solutions optimize space and reduce weight of the overall system.
• Custom SiC-Based Inverters: Designing a new generation of inverters tailored for efficient energy delivery to in-wheel motors, including research into dynamically reconfigurable winding topologies.
• Dual-Function Electronics: Creating innovations such as boost inductors and on-board charging via motor windings, enabling bidirectional energy flow and adding features like electronic e-gear through the inverter.

 

About EU-funded projects

https://smartcorners.eu	https://emtechproject.eu	https://highscape.eu/
	These projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreements No 101138110 (SmartCorners), 101096083 (EM-TECH) and 101056824 (HighScape). Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.