In the press: Autonomous Vehicle Technology Magazine:
EV with Elaphe in-wheel technology designed for fully-autonomous driving
In the shadow of all the high-profile, high-volume OEMs introducing new concepts, ICONA debuted an autonomous driving concept called Nucleus, saying it “represents the synthesis of futurism and a human-centered mindset”. ICONA worked with Elaphe to integrate in-wheel technology because both believe transformation through different levels of vehicle autonomy and digitalization needs to be supported by a transformation in the underlying powertrain technology.
To build the vehicle around user needs, both companies agree that the powertrain should become virtually invisible to the user, with the focus instead on the “front-end functionality”. We believe that our advanced software features and control over individual wheels make our in-wheel propulsion platform the ideal powertrain platform for the next generation of autonomous (AV) and connected electric vehicles.
AV control systems depend on multiple data sources to help eliminate uncertainty. Elaphe’s responsive in-wheel technology adds a layer of data insight that can prove invaluable to AV’s when facing inclement weather and adverse road conditions.
Not only does the in-wheel motor deliver its performance without the technical complexities of a combustion engine, gears, transmissions, differential, driveshafts, and other components, the team says it allows more flexibility in interior design (see https://youtu.be/GdV42IPxBac for more info). The Nucleus takes advantage of this to redefine interior design based on occupant activities.
“The automotive industry is rapidly changing, making it hard to tell what the required future applications will be. Elaphe believes that investing in platforms is the best strategy which is why we are partnering with companies such as ICONA. Together, we are developing dedicated new mobility platform solutions,” says Elaphe CTO, Dr. Gorazd Gotovac, a rising star in automotive 2018.
At each wheel of the Nucleus is an L1500 motor, currently Elaphe’s highest-performance product and said to be the highest-performance production in-wheel motor in the world. Producing a
staggering 1500 Nm of torque throughout its speed range, each delivers 110 kW of maximum power. Four L1500 in-wheel motors provide the concept with a total of 440 kW of wheel power, which is said to be in the same range as today’s conventionally powered supercars.
See also:
Elaphe partners with IBM for Connected Car Data on the IBM Cloud