C2I 2019: UK developed magnet-free electric motor ready for the road

The winner of this year's automotive category, and the winner of the C2I 2019 Grand Prix trophy, is a UK developed magnet-free electric motor that holds huge promise for the growing electric vehicle sector.

Category: Automotive

Winner: Magnet Free Traction Motors for Commercial Vehicles: HDSRM

Partners: Advanced Electric Machines Limited with Tevva Motors, Newcastle University, Motor Design Limited

Sponsor: Comsol

A new, magnet-free electric motor design promises to combine the performance of existing traction motors with greater sustainability.

The culmination of six years of research, the High Density Switched Reluctance Motor (HDSRM) has recently gone into production and will be powering commercial vehicles on the road within months.

The project is led by Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), a spin-out company from Newcastle University, in collaboration with commercial vehicle maker Tevva Motors, the university itself, and software specialist Motor Design.

Among the motor’s main attributes is the elimination both of rare earth permanent magnets and copper, both of which make end of life disposal more difficult.