Motor

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Turntide’s semi‑integrated electric drive powers off‑highway electrification

Increasingly close powertrain integration is well established in the passenger car sector, but for off-highway, construction, and commercial vehicles, the path to electrification presents a unique set of challenges, writes Peter Donaldson.

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Porsche Cayenne Electric debuts with 850 kW powertrain and next‑gen 113 kWh battery system

Porsche has begun series production of the Cayenne Electric, marking the brand's entry into the premium electric SUV segment with in-house battery manufacturing capability in Slovakia. The Turbo variant delivers up to 850 kW and is built on a flexible line alongside combustion and hybrid Cayenne models at the Volkswagen Group plant in Bratislava, so the EV effectively becomes another derivative in an already high-volume programme rather than a standalone product.

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Active Torque Vectoring

Alpine has developed a three-motor architecture that outperforms mechanical limited-slip differentials with extra-precise and quick torque control on each rear wheel, writes Nick Flaherty. The architecture has one motor at the front that powers the front axle and the two motors at the rear power one wheel each. Besides enabling all-wheel drive, this configuration allows the two rear motors to be controlled independently.

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Motor testing

Repeated testing of electric motors brings many benefits. Nick Flaherty examines some of the procedures in common use. Electric motor tests conducted throughout the stages of an electric motor’s life cycle provide essential information about the motor’s overall health and provide engineers with a range of benefits.

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In-wheel motor power boost

Orbis Electric has developed a modular in-wheel motor with the performance of a V8 engine, says Nick Flaherty. The HaloDrive is an axial motor that is designed to fit inside a wheel, reducing weight and improving range by up to 20%.

PS

There’s no such thing as a DC motor

Electromagnetically speaking, there’s no such thing as a DC motor. Bear with me. Many of us are used to making a sharp distinction among electric machines based on whether they need to be supplied with an alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) to run.

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Electric drivetrains for agriculture fit existing machines with ZF eTRAC

ZF's eTRAC portfolio tackles a persistent problem in agricultural electrification: how to swap out combustion drivetrains without forcing OEMs to redesign every tractor-implement connection.

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Modular high performance EV powertrain by New Eagle, Helix and Xtrac transforms C7 Corvette

New Eagle, Helix and Xtrac have collaborated to create an all-electric C7 Corvette Grand Sport that demonstrates what a production-validated, modular EV powertrain can achieve when three specialist engineering firms align their capabilities. The project serves as both a performance benchmark and a scalable foundation for retrofit conversions and future OEM programmes.

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Alpine A390 pushes electric sports car agility with three motor control

Alpine’s transition to electric performance has taken a major technical leap with the launch of the A390. The all‑new fastback sports car is not only the company’s first five‑seat EV but also the first to showcase a fully independent three‑motor drive system with a proprietary torque vectoring architecture.

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YASA sets new electric motor benchmark with 59kW/kg axial flux prototype

YASA has once again pushed the boundaries of electric motor design by surpassing its own previous record for power density. Earlier this year, the company’s axial flux prototype delivered 550kW from just 13.1kg, setting an unofficial world benchmark of 42kW per kilogram - almost double what the rest of the automotive market considered state-of-the-art.

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