BMW Startup Garage to road test DeepDrive’s in-wheel motor

After thoroughly testing a stint on the test rig in the lab, BMW’s Startup Garage is now switching to the next step to build in DeepDrive’s revolutionary in-wheel dual motor in different BMW models for road testing.

According to BMW, DeepDrive’s innovative concept more or less melds two electric motors into a single unit, creating an extremely compact drive that’s energy-efficient and has a high torque density, promising longer ranges for EVs.

Dual rotor concept

“In a conventional electric motor, the stator moves either an internal or an external rotor; with DeepDrive’s dual rotor concept, the stator drives both rotors simultaneously.”

“The compact design and light weight of the unit allow for an in-wheel drive system, in which each wheel hub has its own electric motor. The technology can also be used in a traditional, centralized drive system, where a central motor block powers the vehicle.”

Motorsports student team

DeepDrive is a Munich-based start-up originating from the motorsport team of the Technical University Munich. After several years of automotive careers, they found each other in 2021 to develop an entirely new, lightweight electric motor.

“There are a million ways to build an electric motor,” says Felix Pörnbacher, co-founder and co-CEO of DeepDrive. “But we found a way to build one that offers extremely compact torque and is extremely efficient.”

Embraced by BMW’s Startup Garage

BMW system engineer Jochem Huber, who was always looking for new technologies, spotted them immediately at the 2021 IAA motor show in Munchen. He developed good contacts with the young start-up and the BMW Startup Garage, which operates as a venture client, to implement groundbreaking technologies developed by start-ups to enhance the BMW Group’s capabilities in innovation.

“DeepDrive has developed an exciting vision for the electric drive of the future,” said Karol Virsik, Head of Research Vehicle Concepts and Technologies at BMW. “The Startup Garage allows us to experiment with DeepDrive and work out what drives might look like in the generation after next.”

Investment round

Last year, BMW’s venture capital unit, i Ventures, co-led a series A investment round for DeepDrive, which should lead to mass production in 2026.

According to Pörnbacher, the start-up’s first contact with BMW was the first milestone in its progress and recognition. At the same time, most prominent names in the automotive industry, like supplier and co-investor Continental, among others, followed.

With the latter, DeepDrive developed a drum brake system to be integrated into the electric drive. Both parties claim that the optimal coordination of the brake and drive system makes a decisive contribution. Incorporating both elements in one unit enables an exceptionally high level of efficiency in the drive and when braking, adding simplicity and cost savings in manufacturing.

For BMW, models with integrated in-wheel drives might be seen within one and a half years from now, DeepDrive’s CEO suggests in a company video.