Following its June 2019 acquisition by Swedish EV manufacturer NEVS, British in-wheel motor technology company Protean Electric has launched an electric-drive corner module designed for urban mobility pods.
The company said its 360-degree steering unit could help optimise the design and manoeuvrablity of urban pods.
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The Protean360+ is a corner module with unlimited 360-degree steering capability, and combines this with claimed innovative suspension, pneumatic ride height control and an 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 module allows the vehicle to spin within its own footprint, helping it to negotiate tight urban streets and park in tight spaces with kerbside precision, Protean claims.
Once stationary, the ride height control enables the pod to kneel like most city buses these days, dropping the vehicle entry point to kerb level for easy loading and stepless access for passengers with limited mobility.
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By GlobalDataTransport-as-a-Service urban mobility is gaining momentum, and with it the need for a new class of urban transport vehicles," said KY Chan, CEO of Protean Electric.
These new vehicles will require new technology to be fit for purpose. The corner module was born from our team's innovative thinking about how to meet the requirements for these next generation urban vehicles."
NEVS will use Protean technology in future vehicles as appropriate.
