New Delhi: Automotive technology company Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd (Sona Comstar) on Wednesday said, it has formed a strategic partnership with Canada based Enedym Inc. to produce magnet-less EV motors.
Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Enedym develops next generation switched reluctance motors (SRMs), electric propulsion, and electrified powertrains.
Under the agreement, the parties will develop SRM drive platforms for Indian road and usage conditions targeting 3-wheeler electric vehicles (10-30kW peak power), 2- wheeler high-performance motorcycles (10-20kW peak power) and 4-wheeler cargo delivery electric vehicles (20-40kW peak power). In addition, Enedym will license its SRM technologies to Sona Comstar for manufacturing the drive motors, controllers, and drivetrains for the target applications exclusively in India. The serial production of these systems is likely to commence in 2023. Enedym has developed novel families of next-generation SRMs with improved efficiencies, power density, and performance for varied applications. By taking the permanent magnets out, Enedym’s SRMs have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of propulsion motors.
It offers significant additional advantages like a low-cost and straightforward structure, high efficiency at high speeds, fault-tolerant operations and suitability for operating in harsh environments and high-temperature conditions. Electric three-wheelers are leading the transition to EVs in India, as the segment achieved over 14% share in the overall three-wheelers sales in FY21. The catalyst of this fast adoption is the expansion in the supply chain infrastructure by eCommerce and logistic providers, coupled with growth in eCommerce and consumer demand. We believe the shift towards sustainable mobility will continue in the first and the last mile, given lower operating costs and growth in eCommerce, thus, creating a potentially large market for electric drivetrains.
“We are excited to announce our collaboration with Enedym. This partnership opens doors for us to the inventions developed by Dr Ali Emadi and his research group at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre, McMaster University. Enedym’s switched reluctance motors with advanced acoustic noise control will help us offer high-efficiency and high-performance magnet-less motors to our discerning customers. This is yet another step towards offering environmentally sustainable and cost-effective solutions to drive faster adoption of electric mobility in India and globally” Kiran M Deshmukh, Group CTO of Sona Comstar, said.