Hidden Champion #9 – DeepDrive GmbH
Company: DeepDrive GmbH
Location: Munich, Germany
Founded: 2021
Technology: Patented dual-rotor radial-flow motor with integrated silicon carbide inverter
Scope of Application: Electric cars – as a central drive or wheel-hub drive
Special feature: High power density with significantly less material; according to DeepDrive, for comparable power output, 30% less magnetic material, 50% less copper, and 70% less electrical steel
Key raw materials: Neodymium and praseodymium for permanent magnets, copper, electrical steel, silicon carbide; no heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium
A lighter engine instead of a larger battery
To solve problems, you first have to ask the right questions. DeepDrive doesn’t ask how to make the battery bigger, but how to make the motor more efficient.
Range, weight, and price are closely linked when it comes to electric cars. If you want to drive farther, you usually install a larger battery. That costs money, increases the weight, and requires more commodities.
That’s why Munich-based DeepDrive is focusing on the powertrain. Founded in 2021, the company develops electric powertrains that can be used as a central drive unit or integrated directly into the wheel hub. Their goal: to enable electric cars to travel farther on the same battery or achieve the same range with a smaller battery.
At its core is a patented dual-rotor motor. Unlike conventional drives, the stator operates simultaneously with both an inner and an outer rotor. This allows for more efficient use of the magnetic field. With this technology, DeepDrive aims to simultaneously improve performance, weight, installation space, and energy losses—a benchmark against which most new drive concepts must measure themselves.
The design also focuses on commodities. According to DeepDrive, for comparable performance, the motor requires 30 percent less magnetic material, 50 percent less copper, and 70 percent less electrical steel than a conventional permanent-magnet motor. Furthermore, the magnets do not require the heavy rare earth elements dysprosium and terbium. This does not mean that rare earth elements no longer play a role in the drive system. Rather, they are used in a more targeted manner.
Advances in battery technology are driving the growth of electric cars. But there’s also a lot of potential in the powertrain: A more efficient motor can squeeze more range out of every kilowatt-hour. That’s exactly why DeepDrive is our “Hidden Champion” of the week.