A Goal of 'Revolutionising the Electric Motor' - DeepDrive's Managing Director, Felix Pörnbacher

DeepDrive is a high-tech company headquartered in Munich, Germany, developing innovative drive units for electric vehicles (EVs), Despite being founded in 2021, the roots of the company stretch back over a decade when most of its founders met while studying at TU Munich, and participating in its student motorsport team.

After graduation, their paths led them to large series projects at various leading automotive companies such as Bosch, Audi, and Infineon.

They reunited to establish DeepDrive, with the goal of revolutionising the electric motor.

"Our technology is set to drastically reduce CO2 emissions by accelerating the adoption of EVs and minimising their operational carbon footprint," Felix Pörnbacher, DeepDrive's Co-Founder and Managing Director, tells Auto Futures.

The company's patented Dual Rotor technology increases vehicle range by up to 20% and significantly decreases their costs, enabling the next generation of cheaper, more sustainable EVs.

The drive units are highly compact and torque dense and can be integrated within the wheels or as a traditional central drive.

"Our motors deliver up to 30% energy savings in driving cycles, operate with low noise, and are cost-effective to manufacture. Additionally, the integrated cooling system and wave winding ensure the motor maintains optimal temperatures while delivering high torque," he explains.

They're also more eco-friendly than traditional electric motors.

"Our motors can save up to five tonnes of lifetime CO2 emissions per vehicle compared to current EV technologies. Scaled across the global EV fleet, this could translate into a reduction of multiple gigatonnes of emissions, making a significant impact in the fight against climate change. The largest part of CO2 savings come from the extremely high energy efficiency of the motor."

The technology is adaptable for all vehicle types, from compact cars to large SUVs.

"Although our technology can meet the demands of high-performance vehicles, our current focus is on large-scale series projects aimed at the mass market," says Pörnbacher.

Accelerating Innovation

DeepDrive is working with a number of the world's largest automakers, such as BMW Group, to bring its Dual Rotor electric motor to road testing.

"The collaboration with BMW follows a successful pilot project with promising test bench results. Together, we are preparing for the first practical tests to evaluate the driving characteristics of various motor variants within BMW Group models," says Pörnbacher.

Various versions of the new drive will be installed into BMW models and their handling tested out on the road.

DeepDrive is also benefiting from the BMW Startup Garage which seeks to integrate innovative technologies from startups into BMW’s operations.

"It constituted the first steps of our collaboration with BMW. Through this partnership, BMW has become a client, and we are working closely to adapt our technology for BMW’s use cases. This collaboration has provided us with invaluable access to BMW's resources and expertise, accelerating our innovation and market readiness," he says.

In a press release, Marcus Behrendt Managing Director, BMW i Ventures, comments: "The highly efficient e-motors offer major advantages in terms of weight, cost and space. They enable the next generation of efficient and resource-saving electric vehicles. DeepDrive‘s e-motor technology is designed for easy and cost-effective mass production. We are pleased that our involvement can help this new technology achieve a breakthrough."

Integrating EVs

Serial production of the DeepDrive Dual Rotor will begin in 2025.

"We are preparing to launch a first series of ultra-efficient, large-scale electric motor projects starting in 2028 for high volumes," says Pörnbacher.

Finally, we asked him for his thoughts on what urban mobility/transportation will look like by the end of the decade.

"By 2030, we believe that electric mobility will dominate urban mobility and transportation. The electric infrastructure will have advanced significantly, enabling most vehicles and public transport systems to be electric. We envision cities with reduced emissions, quieter streets, and a seamless integration of EVs into everyday life, also driven by innovations like our Dual Rotor technology," predicts Pörnbacher.