Equipmake launches Ampere-220 electric axle drive

British electric drive specialist Equipmake has unveiled its Ampere-220 electric axle drive. Designed for manufacturers of high-performance electric vehicles, it combines either one or two 220-kW motors with all power electronics, including silicon carbide inverters and gearboxes, in a single unit.

The Ampere-220 weighs 20 kilograms and offers a power density of 11 kW per kg – “more than twice that of a conventional electric motor,” the company wrote. For the two-motor version, the electric drive system offers 440 kW of peak power per axle with a total weight of 85 kg.

The electric axle drive is manufactured and developed at Equipmake’s headquarters in Snetterton, County Norfolk, England. The key to its performance, according to the company, is the combination of Equipmake’s spoke design with additive manufacturing, which allows the Ampere’s metal structure to be 3D printed rather than milled from a solid block. This way, metal is used only where it is needed, he said. It would also replace multi-part assemblies with a single, complex architecture.

“Equipmake has always been at the forefront of innovation in electric motors, with our APM range offering class-leading power densities thanks to their compact, lightweight designs,” said Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake. “Ampere showcases the next leap, and combined with our own power electronics, including our silicon carbide inverter, and transmission system, we have created the Ampere-220 e-axle. With such a huge amount of performance in a compact, lightweight electric drive unit, one that is also ISO 26262-compliant and ASIL-D ready, Ampere-220 electric axle drive provides the total off-the-shelf high performance electric solution for manufacturers of electric sports cars and supercars. It further underlines Equipmake’s position as a leading provider of state-of-the-art electrification systems to the automotive industry.”

Equipmake’s electric axle drives are also used in Ariel Motors’ recently introduced ‘Hipercar’ electric sports car.

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