APC UK awards funding for e-MOTIF project; motor, inverter & flywheel system for vehicles

A new high-volume manufacturing facility will deliver products developed for the collaborative e-MOTIF project (electric MOTor, Inverter, Flywheel). Utilizing the manufacturing capability of Shield Engineering Group, the project will employ EMPEL’s e-Motor and PUNCH Flybrid’s “F-Boost” Flywheel Energy Storage System.

The manufacturing facility will enable EMPEL’s electric motor and inverter to deliver fast, high- performance power to commercial electric and hybrid vans, passenger cars, and top-end supercars. In addition, the propulsion technology aims to generate exceptional efficiency and performance to transport, aerospace, robotics, marine, construction, and Greentech sectors, wherein the e-MOTIF benefits will be realized:

• Delivering >15 kW/kg power density, the e-Motor solution achieves double the 2035 Automotive Council targets.

• Scalable speeds up to 50,000rpm.

• All variants available with optional, fully integrated 48V, 450V & 800V silicon carbide inverter.

• For Hybrid ICE applications up to 25% CO₂ emissions improvements from fuel savings and brake energy recovery.

The consortium, led by Shield, including EMPEL Systems, PUNCH-Flybrid, and PFS Manufacturing, has committed to a £13.3-million (US$16-million) project accelerated with £5.63 million (US$6.8 million) of funding from the Advanced Propulsion Center (APC). The consortium was one of three applicants to be awarded APC-17 funding as part of a £54-million (US$65.5-million) joint industry and government investment in R&D.

The other two winners of the competition are Wrightbus developing hydrogen buses & Meritor developing electric powertrains for heavy goods vehicles.

Funding for the project is accelerating the UK automotive industry capability and supports the transition to net-zero emissions. This is achieved by reducing power usage across a range of vehicles with a combination of electric motors, integrated power electronics, flywheel energy storage systems and integration of these into customer drivetrains.

The e-MOTIF project has opportunities to work with additional OEMs developing evaluation vehicles to test the latest e-MOTIF systems.