Infinitum’s new motor built for everything from cars to planes
Infinitum has debuted its versatile lightweight, high-efficiency motor at CES.
LAS VEGAS — In the electric vehicle era, it’s not clear yet whether motors will be commodity items or, like most internal combustion engines, prized pieces of high-tech hardware designed, engineered and manufactured by automakers. Both scenarios are possible, and a number of electric motor companies are developing new motors in hopes of supplying the auto industry.
At the CES expo in Las Vegas, Infinitum Electric, a 7-year-old Round Rock, Texas, company is debuting a slim, lightweight electric motor that the company claims can power everything from cars to airplanes.
The Aircore Mobility motor differs from most other motors in that it does not have a stator with heavy copper wires. Instead, the Aircore uses a printed circuit board stator that company officials claim boosts reliability and efficiency and reduces size and weight.
Infinitum Electric, a Texas company, is debuting a new, modular lightweight motor today at CES that it says can power everything from cars to airplanes. It’s slim and lightweight, in part because it uses a stator made from printed circuit boards, not wound copper wires. Here’s a video showing the motor’s layout:
Infinitum said the company has received 32 patents, has 44 more pending and plans to start production in the second quarter.
“Our Aircore motor topology eliminates core losses and delivers a broader range of speeds and load conditions where the motor can operate at high efficiency levels,” Paulo Guedes-Pinto, vice president of technology for Infinitum, said in a statement. “The Aircore Mobility motor offers a new avenue in extending range for Class 1-8 vehicles, aerospace, marine, construction and agricultural machines.”
Automakers are focusing on improving the efficiency of EVs in four major areas: the motor and drivetrain, and the battery and power electronics. Higher efficiency pays off in several ways. It can allow an automaker to reduce the size and cost of the battery pack, increase the driving range between charges or improve performance.
Infinitum Electric has seen interest in the Aircore Mobility motor from a number of automakers, a European commercial truck manufacturer, an EV racing team and construction and marine industries, said spokesman Erin Gilmore. “Infinitum’s motor design using printed circuit board stators offers promising performance and efficiency benefits for mobility applications due to superior heat mitigation and high power density,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst at Guidehouse Insights. “With supply chain challenges, the motor’s materials, rapid assembly and scalable production should also be attractive to automotive OEMs seeking dramatically simpler manufacturing going forward.”
