Urban mobility pods to be driven by 360-degree steering technology

In June, Swedish EV manufacturer NEVS acquired the British in-wheel motor technology company Protean Electric. Now, Protean brings the first major news after the acquisition:

• Advanced electric-drive ‘corner module’ designed for next-generation urban mobility pods

• Protean 360+ provides limitless 360-degree steering for exceptional vehicle manoeuvrability

• Pneumatic ride-height control enables ‘kneeling’ for stepless kerb-to-vehicle access

• Compact module allows for front, rear and side access into vehicles

• Operators will be able to offer versatile transport to users with impaired mobility

Next-generation urban transport vehicles will be tasked with smoothly and efficiently moving people and goods around busy cities, and a new 360-degree steering unit could help optimise the design and maneouvrablity of these urban pods.

The Protean360+ is a ‘corner module’ that features a limitless 360-degree steering capability, and combines this with an innovative suspension set-up, pneumatic ride-height control and a highly efficient and powerful in-wheel electric motor. The module’s compact size will allow an urban pod to have an entirely flat interior floor and offer easy access via front, rear and side doors.

The exceptional manoeuvrability enabled by the 360-degree steering system allows the vehicle to spin within its own footprint, helping it to negotiate extremely tight urban streets and park in tight spaces with kerb-side precision. Once stationary, its ride-height control enables the pod to ‘kneel’, dropping the vehicle entry-point to kerb level for easy loading of heavy or cumbersome loads and stepless access for passengers with impaired mobility.

“Transport-as-a-Service urban mobility is gaining momentum, and with it the need for a new class of urban transport vehicles,” explains KY Chan, CEO of Protean Electric. “Whether shared or private, for passengers or goods deliveries, human-driven or autonomous, these new vehicles will require new technologies to be fit for purpose. The Protean360+ corner module was borne from our team’s innovative thinking about how to meet the requirements for these next-generation urban vehicles.”

NEVS AB will use Proteans technologies in future vehicles, when it is considered appropriate.

Notes to editors:
High-resolution video and images are available for download for editorial use from:
https://we.tl/t-tA8KpMzHlT.

Protean Electric’s senior executives are available for interview upon request.

© Protean Electric Limited 2019. “Protean” and “Protean360+” are trademarks of Protean Electric Limited

Media contacts:
Mike Stainton, PFPR Communications
+44 (0)1622 776687 / +44 (0)7739 891040 / mike.stainton@pfpr.com

About Protean Electric
Protean Electric is an automotive technology innovator, and a world-leading developer of in-wheel motors including ProteanDrive, a fully integrated in-wheel drive solution. Protean Electric’s technology is strategically positioned to play a major role in the hybrid, electric vehicle and future mobility market by offering a combination of packaging advantages, new vehicle design opportunities, performance benefits and earnings improvements. Globally, Protean Electric has 160 patents across 75 patent families with operations in the United Kingdom, China and the USA. It is a subsidiary of National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) and part of Evergrande Health’s ‘New Energy Vehicle’ Group.

www.proteanelectric.com

Here is a link to the press release about NEVS acquiring Protean Electric:

https://www.nevs.com/en/media/press-releases/nevs-evergrande-acquires-british-
automotive-t/

On this home page there is more technical information about Protean360+.