Advanced Electric Machines Ltd is a new, UK technology startup company which is aiming to bring to market the world's most sustainable electric vehicle traction motors. HDSRM, the company's launch product, is a rare earth magnet free traction motor designed for use in commercial vehicles; it offers like-for-like performance to existing permanent magnet based traction motors along with a number of additional benefits. Elimination of rare earths not only results in a step change in product sustainability, it also eliminates the single largest cost element in today's volume produced electric traction motors. Elimination of magnets also means that the motor can operate at higher temperatures without risk of demagnetisation, easing integration into hybrid vehicles, whilst also improving efficiency over the normal operating range of commercial vehicles.
The adoption of technologies such as HDSRM is important to that ensure that as vehicles transition from the use of fossil fuels to electrification, we do not simply replace one set of pollutants, petrol and diesel, with another, rare earth magnets; these magnets are currently used in almost every electric vehicle traction motor a worrying trend as they appear at the top of the EU's list of critical materials. However for any new technology, such as HDSRM, to be incorporated into a product requires and understanding of the best approach to market entry along with significant development and proving. The ReFITT SME Instrument Phase 1 project has therefore been focused on developing a strategy for route to market for this innovative and ground breaking product.
This project has addressed four critical questions for Advanced Electric Machines:
1) How is the electric commercial vehicle likely to establish itself and how should the company therefore position its products to meet the needs of commercial vehicle manufacturers.
2) What product testing and validation is needed to meet market needs, how should Advanced Electric Machines go about demonstrating that the project meets performance requirements (power, efficiency), durability requirements (able to function for the full life of the vehicle) and legislation (for example safety requirements).
3) How should Advanced Electric Machines develop its organisation in order to be an attractive supplier to customers, for example through the implementation of international quality standards such as ISO9001.
4) Finally, how should Advanced Electric Machine's seek to build it's supply chain for motor components, ensuring that these are able to provide EU sourced components to the required standards of quality and cost.
