The electrification of traffic is one of the main strategic goals in the EU in terms of lowering pollution, noise and traffic emissions. EU citizens commute daily to work and other activities with an average distance of less than 15 km. Personal electric vehicles are the right solution for such daily transportation and significantly improve the quality of urban living. A two-passenger electric car can show an efficiency level around 10 times higher than one with an internal combustion engine, making the emerging class of Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) with three or four wheels increasingly attractive to a wider population. Dedicated propulsion solutions for LEV should satisfy the high requirements regarding quality, performance and safety.
The project GEM in-wheel, which is carried out within the Fast Track to Innovation Program of the European Commission, pursues the industrialization of GEM motors' in-wheel technology. The GEM in-wheel motors are designed for LEV with a disruptive high-performance multiphase architecture and safe low-voltage operation. The project includes the product diversification towards a range of 2 kW to 6 kW. Moreover, the production technology is developed and optimized for cost-efficient production. A thorough market research and product commercialization strategy are prepared to facilitate an efficient market entry of the technology.