Protean Electric, a manufacturer of in-wheel motors for electric vehicles (EVs), has announced the launch of Project PULSE (Power Electronics Upscale for Localization and Sustainable Electrification), an £11 million ($15 million) initiative funded by the UK government’s Advanced Propulsion Center (APC). The project aims to scale up the UK’s production capabilities for in-wheel power electronics, focusing on inverters and converters that are critical to (EV) technology.
Andy Otley, Head of Protean Electric’s UK Operations, emphasized the importance of this project: “Project PULSE is a landmark initiative that demonstrates our commitment to not only advancing electric vehicle technology but also to building a sustainable future for the UK’s automotive industry. By localizing the production of power electronics, we are taking a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions and creating a resilient supply chain.”
Project PULSE plans to address a key challenge in the automotive industry: the need for a domestic and sustainable supply chain for power electronics. The UK relies heavily on imports for many parts required for EV production. By developing a localized manufacturing capability, the project seeks to reduce the country’s dependency on foreign goods and, at the same time, enhance the UK’s industrial capabilities – all while helping sustainability issues by helping produce
At the heart of Project PULSE is establishing a flexible manufacturing line for the motor that directly powers EVs. Protean Electric will lead this initiative in collaboration with a consortium of five industrial partners and UK universities.
Protean Electric’s in-wheel motor technology is set to play a significant role in the project. A motor/wheel integration could quite possibly be the next generation in EV design, overcoming the skateboard design standard to almost all EVs in production. The in-wheel motor promises increased efficiency and lower overall cost of an EV.
While the economic effect of the project may be local, creating or safeguarding 159 jobs, the environmental effects will be national, reducing as much as 1.2 million tons of CO2 emissions annually and helping meet the UK’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Protean collaboration with Coventry University and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) is meant to bring the latest research and development in power electronics to bear on the manufacturing process and, in so doing, push the UK into leadership in the global power electronics market.
